Writing a letter of Objection
It is essential that the Council and our Councillors hear our concerns and objections, but under planning law the objection must be in writing and must concern an item of planning law itself for the objection to be valid.
NAiW has looked through the application and picked out some of the relevant points - Please read through the application (link is on the Asda's Proposal page) yourself and make your own judgement on whether these points are valid. If you feel they are feel free use the relevant sections below as a basis for your letter of objection to the Case Officer (Tim Hagyard) - contact details are on Council Contacts tab
Need
Although no longer in PPS4 as a planning requirement - the need assessment is still stated in STC1 of the East Herts Planning document. This requires Asda to prove that there is a need both quantitative and qualitative for the area in concern.
Chase and Partners retail assessment (2008) states there is no quantitative NEED for a store in Ware. In fact convenience floorspace needed in Ware until 2021 is 8000sqft, the proposed Asda development is 350% more than is required.
With the majority of people also shopping in Ware for convenience foodstuff there is also little qualitative need for an additional store. Within 10 minutes drive there will be (with the addition of Sainsburys in Hertford) 3 Sainsburys (Harlow, Hertford & Hoddesdon), 1 M&S (Hertford), 1 Waitrose (Hertford), 1 Coop (Stanstead Abbotts) and 2 Tescos (Ware & Hertford), as well as multiple local shops such as Spar, Cost Cutter etc.
Traffic
Asda's own traffic assessment shows that 45% of Traffic will be coming down Watton Road (off the A10) and 55% from Ware Town itself. This additional burden on the roads around the store (especially Watton Road) will lead to gridlock during rush hour. Asda predict an average increase of traffic along Watton Road of 30% - imagine what the peak traffic will be like.
Watton Road is one of the key feeder roads into Ware, from the A10 (south) and Stevenage. Despite being only a B road it has to handle almost as much daily traffic as Wadesmill Road (A road feeder from A10 North). With the introduction of an Asda onto the Cintel site and the additional traffic burden this will bring this road will regularly come to a standstill (which is often the case now). Asda estimate an average increase of 30% during the weekday - this excludes their peak shopping times of the weekend - this increase will require Watton Road to handle 15,000 trips daily, with an additional burden from HGV delivery lorries (increase of 20%) coming down the road.
The road narrows considerably where it merges with Westmill Road, indeed there are solid white lines in the centre of the road to show restrictions, this stretch of road is considered dangerous yet this development will stress this section further by placing additional cars and lorries on the network.
Store Size
The gross store size if only 5% less than the original application and the store is still 15% bigger than any other store in the local 10 minute driving radius. It has been built this way to attract people from along the A10 and not for the benefit of Ware residents.
Location & Impact on Ware Town Centre
This development is classed as Edge of Centre development, which means that people are less likely to walk to the store and make linked trips with the Town Centre. The Primary Shopping area in Ware is over 500m from the store and hence, unlike Tesco in Ware, people will not be inclinded to shop both in the store and in the Town Centre. This will draw trade from the town centre shops and ultimately starve them of their livelihood.
The Asda store is an Edge of Centre development and will damage the vitality and viability of Ware town centre. Similar effects have been seen in Royston (with the opening of a Tesco) and in Hoddesdon (with the Sainsbury's). The attraction of the one stop enclosed store and the range of goods on sale deter shoppers from venturing into town to shop. The fact that Tesco in Ware is constrained in size and hence constrained in the range of goods it can offer; located in the centre of town; and has been a presence in the town for the last 40 years means that the town has evolved to work with Tesco. By introducing a much larger store, with comparison as well as convenience goods to attract shoppers and cocooning them in this edge of centre store will prevent people from walking into town and shopping there. Asda will compete directly with the Stationers, Card Shops, Florists, Pharmacies, Butchers and Bakers in the town, placing additional burden on an already fragile Town Centre.
At 500 m from the primary shopping area in Ware, this Asda store will be set to compete with not enhance the shopping experience in Ware, this development will not clawback any lost trade to the benefit of Ware Town Centre, it will claw trade from Ware Town Centre. Asda predict taking around 40% of the current trade from Tesco, this will also reduce the footfall and hence trade within the town.
Ware enjoys the benefit of a large manufacturing & R&D centre in GSK, the lunchtime trade in Ware in considerable due to this. The location of Asda next to the GSK site will be a further draw away from the town. The proposed balconied restaurant overlooking the buryfields will attract GSK employees to eat and shop in Asda instead of walking into town for food and shopping.