Kimberley/Waitrose revised proposal

Take a look at what Waitrose are proposing for Malmesbury, Wiltshire. The store is 18,000 sq. ft. and there are 200 car parking spaces, all dedicated to the store and none of them are end on to a road! This shows that Waitrose know how much parking space is really needed to service a store; so why are they trying to shoe-horn an overlarge store with inadequate parking provision (and safety concerns) into Knowle? They must think we are all blind fools.

Thank you Rob for identifying for everyone where the existing 90 degree parking is, although you don't seem to know how many spaces there are! As is patently obvious this parking is in a very short cul-de-sac with hardly any passing traffic to worry about - a totally different situation to the 90 degree parking proposed by Waitrose/Kimberley, which will be along a well-used 2-way road, hence the safety concerns.

With regard to the size of the store, what is being proposed is too large in relation to the real increase in parking provision. This is at the heart of the problem with the proposal - there is insufficient space available in the centre of Knowle for the necessary extra parking to satisfy the needs of an overlarge store - and why the Society quite rightly focussed strongly on this aspect of the development.

As for shopping at Tesco, we find it satisfies our needs completely in conjunction with using the small local butchers, baker, green grocer and florist.

As people cant see it, I have taken some pictures of the 90 degree parking on St Johns Close! I have marked on the 90 degree angle in white.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/33239414@N03/with/6620459931/

Hi Bob and Susan.
If you check the plan as to where the new 90 degrees parking is and you turn to the other side of the road you will see 90 degree parking. If I could attach a photo to this I would! There are around 6 to 8 bays.
With regard to the small shop that you want, this would be as small as the existing Tesco. It is a horrible experience to shop at Tesco with congestion, everything sold out, and not being able to get a full weekly shop. Why would we want another the same?
With regard to the society's response to this development I find it negative and depressing. The vistas that they mention are not even worth considering, most are car parks. The society seems to want even more car parking. Maybe it could suggest where this should be found.

We don't understand Rob's comments. Firstly, where is the 90 degree parking that he refers to? Secondly, if the Waitrose/Kimberley proposal goes ahead then there will be just the one entrance and exit to the Red Lion car park - off the Warwick Road.

The arguments against this scheme are to do with its size, we are not saying that there shouldn't be a new store. If the new store was between 550 and 800 m², in line with the Council Study, it would be more appropriate to the available space for parking.

Hi Leighton
I'm really sorry to hear that the Knowle Society has condemned the Waitrose plans. The attraction of Sainsbury's in Dorridge will take away all trade from Knowle.
I’d particularly like to comment on a couple of your points around parking which seem ill considered.
• The comments about 90 degree parking in St Johns Close. If you had checked the road you would already find 90 degree parking on the other side of the road with no problem
• Surely people will park as normal to attend the Red Lion? There is no need to turn in from the Warwick Road?
I really hope that you reconsider your thoughts or Knowle is condemned to just further charity shops, a real shame.

Congratulations to Leighton Jones on his 2 well-researched and argued letters to the Planning Department about the Waitrose/Kimberley proposal. Let us hope that the Planning Committee take all the points on board in their decision making.

Is it worth reminding us all what are the principal factors that the Planning Committee can consider if they are in favour of rejecting the proposal?

Thanks. I have now opened it from another computor, and it worked very quickly.

I have tried to access the Societies response to the proposed car parking in Knowle. However the file would not open as it was'damaged and could not be repaired'. Would you please check it.

Firstly my thanks for the Knowle Society organising this meeting so well and so professionally. It’s just unfortunate that the hall was not full, and some of the audience decided to chat to each other for the entire evening!
As far as I can see, the panel answered all questions. In particular, this will be a small Waitrose attracting most of its clientele from the existing much overused Tesco.
In response to Ken, yes he indicated that there would be a much bigger Waitrose in Solihull: the Knowle Waitrose has been sized for local residents only.
This is the smallest size of Waitrose that can carry all of the food line. Therefore, I would be able to do my full weeks shopping in Knowle, very important to me!
In terms of car parking, the existing provision is awful with people churning in and out of the pocket car parks looking for a spot! The landscaping of the new simplified car park looks very good.
There was an interesting discussion on some additional off street car parking in St Johns Close. Yes please! Anything that can be done to simplify the journey along that road must be commended! It’s currently pretty awful! Some of the residents were concerned that the cars would be parked at 90 degrees to the road. I see no issue with this as this is how most people exit from their drives onto the main road.
Finally it was interesting to hear the evidence from Kenilworth as to how a Waitrose can encourage other local shops. Hopefully this will provide trade to the Bathroom shop and the Kitchen shop etc: we have seen too many local shops change in to charity shops recently.
I hope this proposal is agreed. It would really benefit Knowle and its residents. I can’t see Waitrose making another application if this is rejected as this is the smallest size of store that can hold the full food line: Solihull Council has indicated that it would like to see enhanced food shop provision in Knowle and I really fear this land being sold to Lidl or Aldi who would not give two hoots about local resident’s objections!

At the meeting on Friday (4/11/2011).
Developer Philip Pearce made some interesting points
Firstly he refused to say how many customer could be expected to use the store.
The speculative figure is nearly 0.5 mmillion per year
This worked out by dividing the expected turnover
£10,380000 by the average spend per visit which is £22 (nearest £) based on 2008 figures(latest availible).

Did Philip Pierce also say Waitrose are going to open a new store in the centre of Solihull? Would anybody at the meeting confirm this as Iwas not present.
Did Philip Peirce say Sainsbury's were trying it on when refering to the Sainsbury planning application for Dorridge

Ken

Leighton,

There have been many comments made in the past, on this site, regarding Kimberley / Waitrose proposals. These have been archived. I hope that these comments, including my own, were aired at the public meeting.

Waitrose have said that responses at a June exhibition showed 62 per cent of residents supported “the principle of the plans for Knowle village centre” and yet a later survey conducted by The Silhillian (Solihull Observer) website indicated that a clear majority of respondents were against having a new Waitrose supermarket in Knowle.

A transport assessment says the store would mean a maximum extra 50 car journeys in the area each hour. Well, that means hundreds of extra cars each day in an already badly congested area.

The proposed new car park in Lodge Croft is a fair walking distance from the proposed Waitrose site and if supermarket customers did use it inevitably there would be problems caused by abandoned shopping trolleys.

The extra footfall to Knowle from outside the area that a Waitrose store would bring would only add to the already heavy traffic. The car parks, like now, would be full and there would be the same old parking overflow onto roads around the village centre. The glossy Waitrose plans do not show this. It’s a waste of time, as it is, trying to park in the car park near the Junior school - it’s always full. There have been reports of workers leaving their cars there, as well as in the side roads, to car share and continue their commute into Solihull. Knowle will not be beautified by any new supermarket. There will be a bigger sea of cars and shopping trolleys. It’s bad enough with just the one supermarket presently; badly parked cars and trolleys abandoned where they should not be. Increased traffic, noise, pollution, cluttered streets and car parks; too many supermarkets within close call already; the likely adverse effect on various small businesses; the change in character and de-beautifying of the village… all of this would be at the expense of Knowle as we know it!

And after Waitrose? More big name stores? More new-build housing, because of the facilities? A Knowle High Street by-pass cutting through residential areas?

I am surprised that there has been no feedback on the proposed new Waitrose plans.Are we to believe from that that:
1. We all think they are acceptible?
2. That we think that the rear of the High Street in Knowle should be one big car park, only broken up by a Village Hall and a Waitrose on it?
3. That the traffic chaos that will ensue is good for Knowle?
I for one have grave reservations about the whole scheme. Am I the only one?
John Withers