Gateshead Council has given the go ahead to plans for a giant new Morrisons store in Blaydon.
The plans will see big changes to the existing centre. The library, council offices and health centre will be demolished and rebuilt at no cost to the council. They will be rebuilt on the bank overlooking the car park, currently home to some trees and grassed area. There will also be a refurbishment of existing shops in the precinct.
There will also be a new petrol station built on the site of the old one next to the site.
Whilst the refurbishment of the town centre is welcome, the sheer scale of the new store has raised concerns - it will be of similar size to the giant Asda store at the Metrocentre.
Firstly, there are worries about whether there will be sufficient car parking.
Secondly, the impact on smaller shops such as those in Winlaton could be considerable. There needs to be a balanced approach and if one major development leads to another town centre being sucked dry, little overall has been gained.
A smaller Morrisons local Lib Dems feel would have been more appropriate.
2 comments:
I welcome the Morrison's Store with open arms - Sommerfield at Ryton is mega expensive !
The effort is clearly there in terms of regeneration of Blaydon Town Centre.
The bus companies are beginning to move in the right directions, but all is still not well. Which leads me to the next question:
When will we have a train service we deserve from start to end of day ? Metro Centre and Wylam (our neighbouring stations) are so well served by trains, yet Blaydon is so poorly served by trains ? - the most economic and environmentally mode of travel.
If the government (or EU) is to force road tolls upon us in the not too distant future, where are this countries public transport plans ?
Blaydon Railway Station continues to be under threat without answers.
From a morning train user who has to travel home by bus, changing at the Metro Centre.
Cant wait for Morrisons to open. The only choice in Ryton is Sommerfields. This shop is badly run with hardly any staff never a trolley to be found and long waits at check outs. The one good thing is the staff are nice and trying their best with poor management. This shop has passed its sell by date. Handy for use as a corner shop. sad for the people who do not have transport to go elsewhere.
Morrisons bus would help.
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