DDRA Newsletter - Correction!

If, like DROVS, you've received your DDRA Newsletter, you'll note a mistake in the Sainsbury's article - accidental we are assured but nonetheless vital.

‘The revised proposals reduce the store size from 29,000 square feet to 19,000 square feet…’

Not so! The net sales area of the proposed store has been reduced from 26,500 sq ft in the first plan to 19,504 sq ft in the latest plan.

That's a reduction of 26.4% to the sales area (basically, the bit where you can do your shopping), although as Sainsbury's have recently been forced to admit, they've only reduced the overall size of the store (including the back-up space) by 14.7%.

DROVS say that's still too big!

There’s a good discussion of all this on The Silhillian news ‘blog’ here

Supportive letters in Solihull News

Two sensible letters from the the Solihull News, April 28 2011. Please, if you’d like to see a smaller Sainsbury’s , do email your comments in solihull_news@mrn.co.uk or editor@solihullobserver.co.uk

Sense, please

Over the last few weeks I have read with interest the letters coming in concerning the opening of two potential supermarkets in Knowle and Dorridge.

I have to say my biggest concern is about the local council - how and why has it got to this stage? Surely common sense would say that the roads surrounding these two villages are insufficient to cater for two large supermarkets.

Someone from the local council should have spent some time in the surrounding area on a Saturday to witness the traffic without these two large retailers, and then I doubt very much if the debate would have gone on for this long! Please could common sense prevail?

Nick Davies, via e-mail

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Alternatives

IT goes without saying that all Dorridge residents would agree Forest Court is an eyesore and a disgrace, and that there is a need for the site to be redeveloped.

The new proposals by Sainsbury’s is for a store far bigger than will be sustainable by the patronage oif the residents of Dorridge alone.

This size of store will need to attract customers from a far wider area.

As a residential community, do we want an unnecessary large increase in traffic, noise and pollution, which this will lead to.

I can see the only benefit to our community will be a large doctors surgery, which may well be needed to treat the health problems, that arise.

Where are the discussions about alternatives, say using the site for affordable housing, swimming baths, a gym, parking for the station and others.

It does not have to be all about supermarkets.

Simon Johnson, Dorridge

Dear John...

John Taverner is getting frothed up about Sainsbury's again in this weeks Solihull Observer (letter shown left) - but he clearly hasn't read his DROVS leaflet.

We too think that Forest Court is a disgrace and needs to be replaced

We too are in favour of compromise to get the right sized store for the village (and no, we never mentioned 'artisan shops' John.)

We can't agree that Sainsbury's will create 200 jobs. Those jobs have to come from other areas of the local economy so the net figure is much, much less.

If you agree with John that life is about compromise, you agree with DROVS too - please sign our Wall of Support and help us reach the right-sized compromise for Dorridge

Knowle Society's "grave concern" on Sainsbury's plans

The Knowle Society's March newsletter contains the following update for residents on Sainsbury's plans. Naturally, we share their concerns...

"As you will have heard, Sainsbury’s has designed a somewhat different scheme for its proposed store in Dorridge, which is an improvement on the previous one, but is still much bigger than it need be to serve Dorridge. It is clear that they intend to attract trade from some distance round, which will of course attract traffic, both shoppers and deliveries. It is the traffic issue that concerns us most as much of it (and all the lorries) will pass through the High Street and along Station Road. We have declared our grave concern to Sainsbury’s over the potential impact of the traffic on Knowle and on the length of Station Road and have asked them to revise their plans."

Leighton Jones. Knowle Society Newsletter, March 2011