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The Dorridge Residents Opposed to Village Superstore (DROVS) group said Sainsbury’s own figures back up DROVS claims the plan is 48 bigger than one rejected by planners in 2010.
A press release from Sainsbury’s said it would “set the record straight” over the “blunder” and said the 48 per cent claim is “completely inaccurate and misleading”.
Yet Sainsbury’s did not explain why these figures are wrong and instead only pointed to a 26 per cent reduction in the floor space of the store.
The plan for Forest Court proposes six more retail units and an extended doctors’ surgery and DROVS says this is the figure which must be taken into consideration.
Sainsbury’s official planning application gives a total internal floor space of the new development as 8,310sqm (see section 18 of PDF here).
Taking off the 303sqm doctors’ extension, this is a 48 per cent increase on the 2009 application of 5,396sqm, DROVS said. That scheme was rejected by councillors as too large.
It said: “DROVS believe it is possible to provide a new heart to the village that addresses the concerns raised by many local residents and, despite their latest press release, we look forward to discussing this with Sainsbury's.”
It said: “Most people don’t know that according to the official planning documents, compared with their 2009 plans, Sainsbury’s have actually increased the retail space.”
It added: “This will have a huge knock on effect on traffic and parking.”
Sainsbury’s said the building is lower as its car park is proposed above and not below the store, but the building below “needs to be as big as possible to support it”
Its regional development, Michael Adenmosun, said: “We have clarified this information directly to DROVS in the past therefore it’s very concerning to read this misinformation that they are circulating.”
DROVS has backed a 1,000sqm sales area store, almost half the size of the one now proposed. Sainsbury’s says the proposed store is the smallest it can be to make a profit.
Click here for previous Sainsbury's stories.
In a letter to Sainsbury’s, DROVS questions why the store sales area does not include checkouts, lobbies, concessions, restaurants, customer toilets and walkways behind the checkouts.
The letter questions where staff will park and how the “massive” increase in the store will lead to the 37 per cent cut in traffic compared to the last plan.
Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council’s planning committee is expected to be asked to make a decision on the scheme on Wednesday next week (November 9).
In a letter to Sainsbury’s, DROVS questions why the store sales area does not include checkouts, lobbies, concessions, restaurants, customer toilets and walkways behind the checkouts.
The letter questions where staff will park and how the “massive” increase in the store will lead to the 37 per cent cut in traffic compared to the last plan.
Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council’s planning committee is expected to be asked to make a decision on the scheme on Wednesday next week (November 9).
Note December 2011: Sainsbury's later released further information about figures. Click here to read.
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