Sefton Council secrecy slammed after baby death tragedy

May 20 2009 by Liam Murphy, Birkenhead News

A NEW supermarket in the heart of Birkenhead’s shopping district is viable and has the money to proceed, a public inquiry was told.

Wirral Council was defending plans to use Compulsory Purchase Orders to buy out properties on Grange Road, in Birkenhead, for the planned Asda on the site.

The scheme already has planning permission and preparatory works have been undertaken, but one shop on the site had objected to the CPOs and forced the inquiry at Birkenhead Town Hall.

The supermarket is being developed by Castlewood Developments and Pochin plc, and would see an 8,800sq m superstore selling food and others goods, along with extra car parking.

But it would require clearance of part of Grange Road, and the inquiry was told that retailer B&M had continued to object, and presented a written submission to the inquiry.

The objections raised had included doubt about the scheme’s viability, that it would have “an adverse effect” on that area of Grange Road and that it will fail to attract new retailers.

Other concerns were about the plans “in the current economic climate” and fears that the new store would compete with existing retailers in Birkenhead.

But Martin Carter, representing the council at the inquiry, dismissed these concerns in his opening statement to the inquiry, and inspector Christina Downes was presented with a letter from RBS saying they would make available £22m towards the total cost of the project, with Pochin committed to providing the remaining funds, around £14m. Mr Carter told the inquiry: “All those displaced tenants are to be relocated within Birkenhead town centre, indeed Greggs and Ethel Austin have already identified new premises.”

He told the inquiry Birkenhead faces “serious economic and social challenges” and it was hoped this scheme, creating 400 jobs, would help alleviate this.

Wirral Council principal planning officer John Entwistle said: “We are hoping it will claw back spending and footfall to the town centre.”

He said the town had lacked a “convenience food store”.

He also insisted that shoppers would not just use Asda as a “one-stop shop”.