Page 45 - link magazine

See us on the net @ www.swindonlink.com The Link Magazine • November 2000 45
Looking south across the district centre site I ,
^^ ^^ I ^^ I^^ ^ ^^ ^ ^ l e
towards Haydon Wick i •^

Weekday and weekend homecarers
1
• `.-^.- -_..ter, ^. required for Swindon and
f `
^ " o ' `<l ' ^ ^ ""+.ti..
surrounding areas
-
No rthern Orbital Road from Lady Lane to Purton Readat Taw Hill (open mid-2001) HOURS TO SUIT
Tel: Karen on (01793) 612333
Beware of WaI-Mart
The Care Company Ltd, Rochester House, 27 Victoria Road, Swindon
If you run a retail business in Swindon - or Faringdon, Highworth,
Lechlade, Cricklade - `be afraid, be very afraid,' writes Jean Saunders
of Swindon Friends of the Earth.
LOOKING FOR INDIVIDUALITY?
The coming of Asda Walma rt to but a Government study 'The Im-
the No rth Swindon District Centre pact of Large Foodstores on Mar-
by this time next year will have a ket Towns and District Centres,' deter galbraith
powe rful effect on established busi- published in October 1988 by De-
nesses in supposedly strong ar- partment of the Environment, Handbuilt fitted bedrooms
eas like Swindon. It could be dev- Transport and the Regions. stated:
astating to traders in small towns, "our research identified impacts ♦ Individual handbuilt finish on
up to 50 miles away. on market share of between 13% all bedrooms
At 150,000 square feet in the to 50% on the principal food re- ♦ Manufactured individually to
main shop and 210,000 in the other tailers in market towns and dis- customer requirements
units, this is a huge amount of trict centres as a result of large
retail space. With cheaper fuel, foodstores in edge-of-centre and ♦ Choose from over 40 different finishes
1,900 free car parking spaces and out-of-centre locations. The de- - hardwood, softwood, sprayed etc.
probably a subsidised bus service, cline in market share for the town
it will prove a major attraction. centre convenience sector as a Woodworking since 1969:
Compare this to the Asda whole ranged from 21% in St an excellent finish and personal service
Walmart in Bristol: 93,000 square Neots to 64% in Fakenham and Tel: 01793 526335 guaranteed, all at an a ff ordable price
feet and 1,300 car parking spaces. 75% in Warminster.
As I wrote in the April Link, in Contrary to the widely held
America Wal-Mart has a reputa- perception, our research indi-
tion for selling anything and every- cates that impact is not confined K. & E. J. CRUMP & SON
thing at knockdown prices, often solely to other supermarkets.
using unethical practices, until they Edge-of-centre and out-of-cen-
have shut down competition and tre large foodstores sell an in- FAMILY BUTCHERS
cornered the market. creasingly wide range of conven-
This may sound good for the ience and comparison goods, and 120 HIGH ST., WOOTTON BASSETT. Tel: 853284
consumer in the short term, and often include other services such
many jobs will be created, but if it as a Post Office, pharmacy, dry Fresh Turkeys, Geese,
means that smaller shops in Swin- cleaner and cash point.
don and further afield have to shut Our research shows that Cockerels, Chickens,
down because of loss of trade, is it (such) developments ... can lead
so desirable in terms of job losses to a decline in the turnover of Duck, Pheasant,
and harm to the environment as town centre foodstores (38% im- Venison, High Class
people get in their cars to drive to pact in the case of Tesco in
North Swindon? Cirencester). This can arid has Scotch & English Beef,
What we have is a legacy of the led to the closure of some town
Thatcher Government of the 1980s centre food retailers." Welsh Premium Lamb,
when planning laws were passed By today's planning standards Pork, Speciality Pies
to reduce restrictions on develop- the North Swindon District Centre
ment opportunities. Nothing was would be restricted to a large su-
to stand in the way of the private permarket, not something the size CHRIS is
sector, nor the car driver. of Greenbridge. No leisure or cul-
In 1989 Swindon Council (then tural facilities are planned - such 1 I3th liuVE ':'
Thamesdown) objected to expan- as to be found at the West Swin-
sion in the north and a planning don Centre. We shall have to wait Our own cooked hams (including honey roast, apple roast,
enquiry was held. However the to see if those provided at the sec- mustard, smoked and traditional) and pork.
then Secretary of State permitted ondary school will be big enough 9 GoldAwards, 7 Silver, 4 Bronze for our sausages, pies, pate, faggots
the growth of the town by another to cope with the needs of the 10,000
10,000 homes, which included the homes in North Swindon. Over 20 varieties of fresh sausages including: The Famous `Bassett Banger'
North Swindon District Centre, I am sorry to say that City for
without any survey of the environ- the 21st Century,' the slogan for "WE'RE NO ORDINARY BUTCHER. TASTE THE DIFFERENCE"
mental impact. Abbey Meads, is a legacy of the
Once a plan is passed, it is very twentieth where corporate greed vrsn•
difficult to change it without incur- and savage competition prevailed, r
ring huge cost. I do not know the no matter what the consequences ome deliveries until 9th December
figures for Swindon town centre on communities elsewhere.