Hundreds turn out against supermarket plan (From This is Hampshire)

Hundreds turn out against Sainsbury's plan for Bishop's Waltham

5:43pm Friday 13th August 2010 in News By Ash Bolton, Senior Winchester Reporter

Residents fill Jubilee Hall in Bishop’s Waltham as the parish council makes its objection to supermarket giant’s plans.

FOUR hundred residents crammed into a public meeting last night to see a supermarket giant receive a bitter blow in its battle to bring a controversial new store to Hampshire.

There was standing room only as councillors rejected Sainsbury’s plans for a new shop in Bishop’s Waltham.

A heated hour-long public debate in the Jubilee Hall saw both supporters and campaigners air their views on proposals for the Abbey Mill site as the public applauded, booed and occasionally heckled the speakers.

A policeman was on standby during the meeting, which ended with Bishop’s Waltham Parish Council voting for an overall objection to the plans.

The council’s decision, which is not binding, will be passed to planning chiefs at Winchester City Council, who are currently considering the application.

Councillors said 1,015 letters have been written opposing the plans, compared to 21 supporting the supermarket giant’s bid.

Peter Atkinson, a local fishmonger, said: “It will adversely affect the diversity of this town.”

Meon Valley MP George Hollingbery, who was away on holiday, made his views through his parliamentary researcher and said the town would “die a slow and painful death” if Sainsbury’s were to open.

But many residents argued in favour of bringing Sainsbury’s to Bishop’s Waltham. Gordon Campbell said: “There is not anybody that supports local shops more than me. I believe Sainsbury’s will be good for the town.”

One resident reduced the crowd to laughter after demanding Sainsbury’s build the new doctor’s surgery and then “get out of the way”.

Bishop’s Waltham surgery manager Andy Moulam said the current surgery has a patient-to-doctor ratio above the national average and currently has nowhere to put the extra GPs it needs.

He said: “It’s for those reasons the practice approached Sainsbury’s to see if they could do something to help.”

A major campaign has been launched to stop the store, backed by Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda Holden, who grew up in the town.

More than 100 members of the Bishop’s Waltham Action Group last month handed in a 4,500-signature petition to council bosses.

But another action group, Bishop’s Waltham Another View, claim the store will bring more employment and offer residents a cheaper alternative to expensive High Street shops.

Objections to the planning application ended yesterday.

Planning chiefs will now have to decide whether to approve the 35,000 sq ft store, which would bring 350 jobs.