Pitsea pool making way for monster Morrisons (From Southend Standard)
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Pitsea pool making way for monster Morrisons
3:05pm Monday 17th September 2012 in Echo News By Gina Marden
A HUGE new Morrisons supermarket was the deal maker when it came to selling off Pitsea swimming pool, according to a senior councillor.
Malcolm Buckley , Basildon councillor responsible for regeneration, said the council had “no choice” but to accept Morrisons’ view that it needed a 75,000 sq ft store to compete with the nearby gigantic Tesco Extra supermarket.
Plans to close the swimming pool and push on with Pitsea regeneration plans were approved by Basildon’s Tory cabinet last week, although the decision was taken in private due to “commercial sensitivities” over contracts and finance.
Speaking after the meeting, Mr Buckley said Morrisons was adamant its store had to be supersize to make it worth coming to the town and thereby sparking major regeneration plans.
He said: “We are clear there is no way a store of 75,000 sq ft could be accommodated anywhere on that site that did not involve the council’s land, including the pool site.
“The choice was a stark one – do we keep the pool or go ahead with the town centre development? This is all good news, and means Pitsea can look ahead to the future.”
The new Morrisons, which received planning permission in May, will be nearly three times as big as the chain’s Hadleigh store, which opened earlier this year, but will still be dwarfed by the 125,000 sq ft Tesco Extra in Pitsea – the second largest Tesco in the country.
The Tory cabinet voted to transfer the ownership of Pitsea Swimming Pool to developers London and Cambridge Properties, who are in charge of the regeneration.
Under the plans the pool in Northlands Pavement, a row of shops, including Aldi and part of the market, would make way for the new Morrisons, which could create 350 local jobs and 200 during its construction.
A new Aldi will be built nearby, while a new 100-pitch market would be put on the site of the former Railway hotel and offices.
Campaigners trying to save the pool say the council has given too much away.
Byron Taylor, the Labour group’s deputy leader who is vehemently opposed the pool’s closure, said: “Why can’t we have a pool somewhere else in Pitsea?
“The council has just rolled over and done what Morrisons want.”
Building work on the plans could start by next summer.
Comments(20)
Eric Whim
says...
4:42pm Mon 17 Sep 12
A new Aldi will be built nearby
good news
Eric Whim
says...
4:45pm Mon 17 Sep 12
Malcolm Buckley , Basildon councillor responsible for regeneration, said the council had “no choice” but to accept Morrisons’ view that it needed a 75,000 sq ft store to compete with the nearby gigantic Tesco Extra supermarket.
brown paper envelopes that big only come around once in a lifetime you know....
Nebs
says...
5:43pm Mon 17 Sep 12
jolllyboy
says...
6:00pm Mon 17 Sep 12
GentleGiant
says...
6:35pm Mon 17 Sep 12
Tesco's has to be one of the worst Tesco stores in the UK. So anything that will compete with that to drive up standards will be great :)
v.randy
says...
7:41pm Mon 17 Sep 12
They'll just sit behind desks checking on their massive pensions.
Alec Cikes
says...
10:32pm Mon 17 Sep 12
There are enough supermarkets for miles over, Lakeside & Bluewater included.
When will you even begin to understand that money is not the be all of people's existence.
Greed!
andyh
says...
6:35am Tue 18 Sep 12
GentleGiant wrote:But, as Morrisons is down-market from Tescos, how do you expect it to drive-up standards?
All great news.
Tesco's has to be one of the worst Tesco stores in the UK. So anything that will compete with that to drive up standards will be great :)
shallotman
says...
7:54am Tue 18 Sep 12
GentleGiant
says...
10:22am Tue 18 Sep 12
andyh wrote:You must be joking!
GentleGiant wrote:But, as Morrisons is down-market from Tescos, how do you expect it to drive-up standards?
All great news.
Tesco's has to be one of the worst Tesco stores in the UK. So anything that will compete with that to drive up standards will be great :)
Morrison's is far far better quality than Tesco's.
Blind Haze
says...
10:41am Tue 18 Sep 12
Son of stropmag
says...
4:36pm Tue 18 Sep 12
leslog
says...
5:26pm Tue 18 Sep 12
AffectedByPitseaRegen
says...
5:33pm Tue 18 Sep 12
Please sign the petition
http://www.ipetition
s.com/petition/save-
pitsea-pool/
& Please help in fighting this!
www.facebook.com/Sav
ePitseaPool
TheWizzard
says...
7:12pm Tue 18 Sep 12
leslog wrote:You can't trust anything that Buckley says, he can't even get wickford right let alone laindon. Pitsea will go the same way. Its more to do with selling the land to pay off their massive debts
what about the supposed Morrisons at Laindon shopping centre being built ,my wife received a reply in 2007 from councillor Buckley informing her it was a near certainty planning would be submitted in 2007 for its redevelopment we are still waiting ,the area is an eyesore part knocked down then just left with boarding ever since,I am of the opinion this council is lacking in resolve to solve the problem ,with this sort of wait
leslog
says...
8:28pm Tue 18 Sep 12
AffectedByPitseaRegen
says...
7:13pm Wed 19 Sep 12
http://www.ipetition
s.com/petition/save-
pitsea-pool/
www.facebook.com/Sav
ePitseaPool
joey1950
says...
11:04am Sat 22 Sep 12
bex8198
says...
9:33pm Tue 9 Oct 12
joey1950 wrote:Pitsea does need change but unless half the people are taken out of Pitsea it will be run down again within weeks. What is building yet another supermarket going to do... give the thieves somewhere else to steal from. Why not put the money into giving the youths something to do other than shopping or stealing.
I think it is a welcome change, Pitsea has been run down for a long time.
Audioman says...
4:24pm Mon 17 Sep 12