Comments on: One on every corner? Tesco and Sainsbury’s

By: Mark A

Mark A — Mon, 08 Dec 2014 18:57:39 +0000

Not only live there but en route to football (at least for time being). Love walking past this site and down side of hospital and over footbridge on a Saturday; if little poignant with SCBU so close

Spent many hours up and down Lowther St over years taking daughters to brownies and the park, many excellent curries, trips for emergency provisions from Spar and when i first moved into area a butchers!

I think there is question here. The difference now between say the whole Bishy road thing and what we have in Groves is massive. Why are the routes from centre of town out this way so grim? Not sure if there is a fully formed plan for Piccadilly but even Fossgate and Walmgate now nice places to be. Why does the good old Groves always seem to be struggling?

Was struck on two recent trips to London when spent quite a bit of time around the Angel (area East + SE of Kings cross) just how vibrant it was. Lots of people young and old walking around at all times of day and night. No dodging drunks and their left overs on street. “Drug related” crappola etc. I saw zero trouble all the time i was down there. Ok there was traffic but seemed somehow better than our congested streets. Try walking across town using so called pedestrianised areas first thing in morning!

This may be controversial but i think we have got to “claim” these areas as being for “people” and not just run down semi derelict sites on busy car dominated corners. A Tesco opposite may not be end of world. But why not use chapel as a sort of Student Union? Perhaps the “quality” of the students is better at UCL than local lot but I think we should give them benefit of the doubt. Imagine the place lit up at night with people arranging to meet or just hang out. Maybe incorporate a cafe, space to rent out for clubs, some sporting equipment upstairs. Table tennis popular at Clarence and Con club!

By: YorkStories

YorkStories — Wed, 26 Nov 2014 21:21:44 +0000

Hi Chris, the point about the highest bid is just what I deduce from the comment in that article in the Press linked to above, which says: ‘The York Hospital Trust has said it is obliged to dispose of assets it does not use and to go for the offer which is most beneficial for the NHS.’ By most beneficial I guess they mean highest bid?

These small supermarkets do of course have an impact on other shops around, some of them, and I imagine the Spar on Lowther Street and the late-opening store and off-licence on Clarence Street will lose customers to a Sainsbury’s if it opens. Whether that means a Sainsbury’s shouldn’t open there … as I think I’ve said already in the article above, I think many people in the Groves area might be glad to have a Sainsbury’s store close by.

By: Chris

Chris — Sat, 22 Nov 2014 12:58:12 +0000

I think part of the reason for the opposition is that these mini-supermarkets are cropping up everywhere, and often have the effect of stifling independent shops which don’t enjoy the benefits of brand recognition, economies of scale, buying power etc as the big names do. I understand a lot of the small supermarket sites don’t actually make a particularly big profit but are often sited to prevent a competitor having a presence there.
However, it’s hard to imagine what other business would be suitable for the site as I imagine the (I presume) lack of parking would make it unsuitable for use as flats/holiday lets, and the location might well make other uses unviable e.g. a music venue.
The point someone else made about the NHS having to accept the highest bid may well be accurate too which could rule out some more noble uses for the place!

By: YorkStories

YorkStories — Fri, 21 Nov 2014 22:39:25 +0000

And another update, as the comments on the petition have been followed up in a recent Press story on other potential purchasers: http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/11612182.Hundreds_oppose_Sainsbury_s_plan_for_York_chapel/

It reminds me of the situation with the old Reynard’s garage/Airspeed building, in that there’s a comment about the sale of this asset needing to make as much money as possible. In this case for the NHS Trust, in the Reynard’s case for City of York Council. Is it similar in that? Seems so to me. An obligation to sell to the highest bidder?

If so, what about other notions of ‘value’. I’m all for us taking more notice of them.

By: YorkStories

YorkStories — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 15:17:21 +0000

Quick update: I’ve been watching with interest the petition on change.org, which has an update about what other action is being taken. See http://chn.ge/1163QMA for more.
Particularly interesting is that one of the signatures is Ian Loftus, who I assume must be this Ian Loftus: http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/business/yorkmeans/4867882.Ian_Loftus_to_turn_former_Beams_Tearooms_in_Stonegate__York___into_a_beer_caf__/ He says in the comments that his reason for signing is that he put in an offer, to keep the building as it is now. If that’s the case I’d be interested to know why that didn’t get any further. A creative and interesting use would be preferable to a supermarket. If anyone has any more info on this do let me know. I’m sure many of us might be interested in backing some viable alternative idea.

I’m not sure what’s left inside it, but apparently the organ has long gone, removed and reinstalled at the church in Heslington in 1974, according to this online database: http://www.npor.org.uk/NPORView.html?RI=D03176

By: Ralph

Ralph — Tue, 11 Nov 2014 08:33:36 +0000

Having this fine building in use again will make a huge contribution to improving this rather down-at-heel junction. Perhaps we can get the ugly and obtrusive street furniture and clutter sorted out as part of the same development. I don’t live in that part of York but, having had been an all-too-frequent visitor to the hospital over the last few years, frequently pass that way. It always saddens me to see the decaying state of the building and the blighting effect it has on its immediate surroundings This proposal seems to offer the best opportunity in years to solve that problem. If well executed it looks like an excellent idea to me. Far better than the thoroughly misbegotten Tesco Punch Bowl proposal.