Store bosses grilled over Bishop’s Waltham plans (From Hampshire Chronicle)

Sainsbury’s chiefs answer residents’ questions

10:21am Saturday 25th July 2009 in News By Ash Bolton

HUNDREDS of people took the chance to put controversial plans for a new supermarket in a Hampshire town under the microscope.

Sainsbury’s bosses spent six hours yesterday speaking to residents about their plans for a 35,000 sq ft store at the Abbey Mill site in Bishop’s Waltham.

It could open as early as August 2010.

Up to 500 people crammed into the town’s Jubilee Hall on May 28 to voice almost unanimous opposition to the building of a store.

Sainsbury’s spokesman Rob Allaway admitted that public opinion on the store was still divided, as people poured into the town’s Methodist Church.

He said: “The idea of today is to discuss the issue as much as we can, input any thoughts that come forward into the planning process and finalise the plans before the planning application goes in.

“We saw about 100 people during the first two hours so we’ve had a real good turnout. We are doing a wide public consultation and there are a lot of people interested in the proposals for Bishop’s Waltham. We are doing a widespread mailing and we have asked for comments back from that. We issued that last week and have had nearly 2,000 comments back already.

“There seems to be quite a mix of views. So we will get all of them together, analyse them and share them with the local community.

“Today has been the same. There are people who have concerns and people who are supportive”

As previously reported in the Hampshire Chronicle, Sainsbury’s bosses admitted that regardless of public opinion they would still submit a planning application as early as next month.

If built the store would cover an area of land more than two times an Olympic-sized swimming pool and would employ about 350 people.

The exhibition continues today from 10am-4pm at the Methodist Church. Residents will be able to view plans and question the development team.