Bohemia Village Voice

Asda Newgate meeting

Asda held a public consultation day at the Red Cross Hall in Newgate Road on 29th May to present the final plans for their controversial new store. Members of the development team were on hand to answer questions from the public.
The supermarket chain submitted their planning application on 9th May for the proposed Silverhill store and medical facility on the Marshall Tufflex site at Ponswood. The public have until 27th June to register comments with Hastings planning dept.
Barney Harle, Development Surveyor for the project, explained, “ Asda  have already bought the entire site, so that Marshall Tufflex are now their tenants. There will be six months work of demolition and decontamination – because there is asbestos on the site. He continued, “All the dairymen’s houses, the old dairy, and the Mayor’s garage are going to be knocked down. Asda has got agreements to purchase the houses in Battle Road, but the Mayor wants to hang on to her garage. We’re in negotiations with the council about it. After all, the Mayor won’t last for ever, will she?” He went on, “Battle Road up to just past the dairy is to be widened, and a new junction is going to be put there. The present bus stops are to be moved further up Battle Road.”
Mike Cottee from Cottee Transport Planning, the consultants to Asda dealing with transport issues, said, “Over twenty buses an hour pass Silverhill junction. A very strong point for this site is its sustainable location.”
Asda say that “by buying the Ponswood site we have invested a significant amount of money in Marshall Tufflex to support and expand its business and help secure the future of the company and more than 250 local employees. Marshall Tufflex are making a planning application to build a new warehouse close to their Churchfield headquarters and the Ponswood activities will be transferred up there.”
Mr Harle said, “The Asda store will be 35,000 sq ft, which is a little smaller than Morrisons in Queen’s Road, a bit smaller than the average Asda. We’ve done a deal with the NHS and will also be building a medical facility of 25,000 sq ft.” There are 301 car parking spaces planned for Asda, 22 medical facility staff parking spaces and an ambulance bay. A large piece of land approximately the same size as the medical facility is marked out on the plans but left blank. When asked what this was to be, Mr Harle said, “It’s been gifted to number 21 Battle Road to add to their garden.”
“Asda will make application for 24-hour trading.” said Mr Harle. He explained, “It will probably be 8am to 10pm, with extra opening hours at Christmas.” Asda claims their proposed new store “will help increase business for local retailers.” They say, “A survey has shown that 73% of people in the catchment area never shop at Silverhill.”
Asked about the impact on residents whose properties back on to the site or are close by, Barney Harle said Asda pride themselves on their environmental policy and that there will be “reduced lighting, using cut-off designs which focus light downwards”. Asda say the new store will create “over 300 full and part-time jobs.”
It was estimated that about 80–100 people had come to the exhibition just in the first two hours. The Voice asked several people at the exhibition for their comments: all were favourable. Elinor Hayler of Newgate Road said, “I think it’s a great idea. It will be competition for Tesco’s. I think it looks really good.” A young man who lives in Warrior Square said, “This is going to create three hundred jobs!” A Battle Road resident said, “From a point of self-interest it suits us. We’d like it to go through. Our house is one of the ones which is going to be demolished.” Info at: www.asda-hastings.co.uk