Saturday 26 May 2012

Sainsbury's at Hill Foot Ulverston

An interview with their representatives at The Lantern House earlier today:


The web site dealing with this proposal : http://www.sainsburys-ulverston.co.uk/

Emily who was interviewed in the above video encouraged us to get in touch with our queries by email.

Other stories on this issue:


 Sainsbury's Ulverston Plan revealed


The latest from "Keep Ulverston Special" 

Something worth noting and not on the plan used in the above presentation
Look at the areas in blue. This means that Sainsbury is proposing that business units could spread in both directions and thus completely surround the Beehive cottages. In theory can't this area be reached by extending the work units at Lightburn Industrial estate.

15 comments:

Alan Farmer said...

Good interview Geoff. You asked the right questions in an appropriate manner. I suspect that Emily may have been a little more forthcoming in the absence of the rottweiler!

Thank You

Geoff Dellow said...

Thank you Alan,

I hope Ulverstonians will really get involved with this decision.

It is indeed a complex one, and yes "Ulverston is Special", but it won't be special if it ignores this issue.

I'm trying to be as objective as I can but involvement of everyone is essential.

What we are being asked to do is decide between a little more money in our pockets against a loss of a very rich social interaction in our town centre.

In the long term this is important to each one of us. Good communication between people is far more important than money.

It may be that we can be truly exceptional as a town and achieve both.

Planning permissions can have conditions that ensure certain principles.

As expressed in the interview, my concern is what would happen in the future if the large supermarket companies were to collapse.

These large companies make national decisions and wouldn't give Ulverston a second thought if it was to their advantage, in say twenty years time, to close this store. Where would Ulverston be left then?

The concept of trundling goods all over the country as the big compaies do is idiotic. Potatoes grown in Flookborough could be shipped to a distribution centre in Manchester first before travelling all the way back to Ulverston. By contrast Brocklebanks could deal with Flookborough direct and thus be cheaper.

Furthermore the concept of providing 'new jobs', is deceptive.

What happens if a company in Kent illegally uses immigrant labour on a massive scale whilst a sympathetic family concern in Flookborough is put out of business because of a supermarket capturing the market.

This LOSS of jobs is ignored.

For me it's a time for thinking thirty year olds with stretched pockets to think carefully about the future of their young children.

Too many of them, often quite intelligent, shrug and say "I don't do politics".

This is the system we've got. We've got to use it because this is our, their, future.

Geoff Dellow said...

Thank you Alan,

I hope Ulverstonians will really get involved with this decision.

It is indeed a complex one, and yes "Ulverston is Special", but it won't be special if it ignores this issue.

I'm trying to be as objective as I can but involvement of everyone is essential.

What we are being asked to do is decide between a little more money in our pockets against a loss of a very rich social interaction in our town centre.

In the long term this is important to each one of us. Good communication between people is far more important than money.

It may be that we can be truly exceptional as a town and achieve both.

Planning permissions can have conditions that ensure certain principles.

As expressed in the interview, my concern is what would happen in the future if the large supermarket companies were to collapse.

These large companies make national decisions and wouldn't give Ulverston a second thought if it was to their advantage, in say twenty years time, to close this store. Where would Ulverston be left then?

The concept of trundling goods all over the country as the big compaies do is idiotic. Potatoes grown in Flookborough could be shipped to a distribution centre in Manchester first before travelling all the way back to Ulverston. By contrast Brocklebanks could deal with Flookborough direct and thus be cheaper.

Furthermore the concept of providing 'new jobs', is deceptive.

What happens if a company in Kent illegally uses immigrant labour on a massive scale whilst a sympathetic family concern in Flookborough is put out of business because of a supermarket capturing the market.

This LOSS of jobs is ignored.

For me it's a time for thinking thirty year olds with stretched pockets to think carefully about the future of their young children.

Too many of them, often quite intelligent, shrug and say "I don't do politics".

This is the system we've got. We've got to use it because this is our, their, future.

Geoff Dellow said...

When I use the word thirty I'm refering to people who are preoccupied with their family priorities,typified in my mind by some thirty year olds I know.

Anonymous said...

What a brilliant neutral bit of reporting.
You are indeed a "Sir of Sensibility"
ALBAN

Geoff Dellow said...

Let's not get carried away now.

Tony T said...

Why is Ulverston "special".? Will somebody please explain? Why is it more "special" than Milnthorpe, Carnforth, Dalton, Grange, Lancaster, Kendal or Clovelly? Why exactly is it "special"? EXACTLY please.

Chris said...

Hello Tony,
I know you if the T is what I think it is,or I did when we were young.
I have a thought for you that kind of we are special you are not mentality is the precursor to every war that has ever been fought.
If you are the Tony I think you are my regards to Louie I loved his Dad like a brother.

Geoff Dellow said...

Why is Ulverston Special?
I think it is but not because of the slogan - because it's true.

1.It has a long history of being the centre of activity in the area.
2. Its size is unusual: 12,000 . Small enough that you can get to know everyone you want to.
3.It is far enough from other towns that it has an identity that is different to the others.

4. It is/has been a thriving Market town so that a much wider population travel to it for many different reasons. This means that it attracts activities of great interest to the surrounding area in first its Coronation Hall and in its streets.
In the Coro we get very high standards in music of all kinds - tonight it's the Ukulele Orchestra , another night the Manchester Camerata both music of an exceptionally high standard - in the case of the latter equal to the best in London.
In its streets we have the results of people like Welfare State International and before that the highering fairs with al that entertainment.
5. It attracted me and that will have to do for now. As I'm going out and want to eat and change (my clothes).

tony t said...

Geoff, your explanation of why Ulverston is "special" applies exactly to 10000 other towns in the U.K.thus rendering your points totally useless! It is "special" to me because I was born here, brought up here and it has family memories and connections. I know Ulverston. It is not otherwise "special" and - a view I know that you do not share - I and many Ulverstonians are heartily sick and tired of "offcomers" trying to turn this town into something it never has been.

Geoff Dellow said...

Isn't it more helpful to focus on the future and all work together to help Ulverston to become/remain a really good place to live in.

Working together in my book comes about from sharing all our skills, pooling resources and not from pointless squabbling as to whose town it is.

Many of us are here and not moving: so put up with it.

It is our town and we care about it. If you are serious you'll want to meet up with me to discuss what we can all do together.

BTW if you are less than sixty - I've been here longer than you as an 'adult' in this town.

Some might even say I'm one of the town elders!

Geoff Dellow said...

BTW again, that should read seventy above. My quick mental arithmetic needs a brush up.

Tony T said...

Sorry Geoff but thats a typical GD answer - i.e briskly dismiss somebody else's view as "pointless squabbling" whilst you blithely carry on as a self appointed "town elder".!!

On the issue of "special" you have to realise that a great many people do not share that view. They don't actually want or don't care about all the froth generated by groups such as "KUS". What matters is Jobs, money, family and a possible chance to shop in Ulverston for a reasonable price.

For all their bleating, it is painfully obvious that KUS's main concern is image. They don't want a downmarket supermarket on their doorstep or anywhere else in town simply because it goes against their very flawed idea of what Ulverston is. "Quaint", "quirky" "unique" etc etc. I say develop the Brewery site asap and then bring on Sainsbury's too. At least one of them is going to happen so - "put up with it."

Geoff Dellow said...

Sorry Tony, you're coming across as someone who sits on the sidelines and moans and does absolutely nothing.

I don't believe you even try to understand other view points. You're like the Jehovah Witnesses with an unbudging believe that "You're wrong".

It's therefore a waste of my time expressing another viewpoint.

I don't want Ulverston to remain 'quaint' but want it to be a fully functioning town. Having a supermarket on the edge of the town works against that and I've explained why.

For me the most pressing issue is to take charge of our car parks and parking of cars on our streets. We then have a chance of making our town of lots of vibrant small shops a very successful business enterprise that provides lots of jobs and enterprises. For this reason I'm seeing Ralph Spours who is a least a doer.

Neanderthal thinking of letting it all happen to us and doing nothing as you seem to propose will, as they suggest, lead us to become a none town - a ghost town.

Now if you can't say something constructive; Shut up.

Anonymous said...

Ulverston shops are closing all the time market stalls have all but gone take a look on a saturday it used to be packed on both Thursday and saturday and as I see it healthy competition reduces prices of goods bought and more stores and shops the better and yes it will create more jobs because as ulverston is now try and get a job here almost impossible at the end of the day we are just a small town that I was born and bred in and I am afraid to say it but it is still in the dark ages their is nothing special about ulverston we are a small country village because the shops and pubs we had have gone long ago now how do you say it is the supermarkets to blame for shop closures when they aren't even built yet shops are closing all the time one butchers shop left in ulverston and over the years we had loads fruit and veg shops we had a few in ulverston bakers shops we had a few of them but over the years all gone clothing shops for men where are they at one the only one has gone so yes build the damn supermarkets and build more and more we could do with an Iceland and a farm foods as well the more we have the more work prospects its all you so called do gooders killing the town by chasing healthy trade and competition away and and people need jobs as well not many in ulverston and if we don't get them then I will just have to do my shopping online and go to barrow to Iceland to do a good shop and get it delivered so which town will lose out really ulverston that's what so stop your bloody moaning you snotty nosed gets