Fresh fears as Costa and Subway outlets earmarked for M&S retail park on Doncaster Road in Scunthorpe
People have been reacting to the news that Subway and Costa could join the proposed Marks & Spencer retail park – triggering more concerns about the development's impact on the town centre.
The retailers, both of whom have shops in Scunthorpe town centre, may fill two units at the retail park planned for the site of the Stephen Smith Garden Centre, near Glanford Park.
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A Costa Coffee drive thru in Nottingham. The firm could put a similar outlet at the proposed M&S retail park in Scunthorpe
New plans, which have been submitted to North Lincolnshire Council, are for a drive-through Costa Coffee restaurant and a Subway sandwich shop.
No contracts have yet been signed but the application says the Subway store would complement its current outlet.
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However, Alan Bell, of the Keep Scunthorpe Alive group, said: "Can anybody doubt that this new addition will lead to two further empty units in the town centre?
"In the last controversial 12 months, we have already seen more and more business failures and empty units in the town centre. There can be no doubt that when national chains such as Ernest Jones or HMV were deciding which towns to continue trading in and which stores to close down, the imminence of this new development and the millions of pounds the developers openly acknowledge it will divert from the town centre will have played a big part in decision-making."
M&S, Debenhams and Boots have already signed up to the retail park.
Mr Bell says the fact the proposed Costa Coffee shop would be a drive-through will add to the traffic problems that objectors have raised.
He said: "Surely this new dynamic must be considered properly by the full planning committee, as the existing damage to traffic flows on Doncaster Road is already a critical issue which in my opinion as a resident should have been enough to have the original application thrown out."
As part of the planning agreement, a list of 30 high street retailers was drawn up, of which no more than one could move to the new site.
Neither Subway nor Costa were on that list. Neither firm has commented on the plans.
Chris Newsome, development director for Simons, the firm behind the proposals, said deals with Costa and Subway had not yet been signed but rents were agreed.
He said both would retain their town centre presence, as well as opening new premises at the development.
He said: "There is nothing formally under contract but it is very exciting. They are very keen.
"The important perspective is it won't affect any operations in the town centre."
A decision is still to be made on whether Zurich Assurance Ltd, which represents Scunthorpe's The Foundry Shopping Centre, is able to launch a fresh appeal aimed at derailing the Simons development.
What do you think about Costa and Subway having fresh outlets on the edge of town? viewpoint@scunthorpetelegraph.co.uk
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7 Comments
by cuttswood
Wednesday, March 20 2013, 11:24PM
“"I am happy more major chains are wanting to come to Scunthorpe, my opinion is if people want to go to Primark, Bhs, a pound shop or a jewellers they will venture into the town centre. If they want to shop at Debenhams or M&S they will go to the retail park, would you doubters prefer them to go to the likes of Doncaster, Grimsby, Leeds or Sheffield to name but a few or would you prefer jobs to be created in Scunthorpe and more money brought to the local economy. All these people that are complaining need to realise that when the pathetic Southgate Mall was built it should have been done properly. All the new builds should have been covered, the roof should have gone as far as Primark & up to the top of Market Hill, and church square should have been used for a proper shopping complex either in the form of The Yorkshire outlet or the Frenchgate Centre. If that had been done the big retailers would have already been here for many a year now and you might have even attracted the likes of Ikea, whose main reason for not coming to Scunthorpe was the lack of of other major department stores. Ok so they need to improve the road network in that area vastly and if the football club could be brought on board as well may be a train station, yes a big investment but think of the lack of football traffic. So stop complaining and lets embrace this new complex for Scunthorpe."”
by leonidas
Friday, March 15 2013, 1:36PM
“yes Buffering thats what they WANT to do, they want to spend millions of pounds just to put people out of work!!!
Or could it be that the've done there research and found a potential in scunthorpe to make a healthy profit from there business, WE SHOULD BE PROUD THEY HAVE THAT BELIEF IN US (we includes you) so bore off with your highly inaccurate statement..... yawn”
by tuckeratlarge
Friday, March 15 2013, 9:36AM
“Can't wait for this. Hopefully when this new development is built it will finally be a kick up the backside the owners of town need.
Tesco have just bought Giraffe so that will replace the Costa in shop. Nobody loses out.
Still need a Nandos though!”
by buffering
Thursday, March 14 2013, 10:01PM
“leonidas
So if someone wanted to put you out of work you'd obviously not be bothered.”
by leonidas
Thursday, March 14 2013, 5:22PM
“'Fresh Fears' only by the shop holders in town, the rest of the world are probably happy about the prospect of a nice clean respectable shopping centre, free from cheap shops, money grabbing pawn brokers, hardly any toilet facilities, parking charges, dirty streets, annoying people trying to sell me virgin cable and at many times of the year people every 10 feet making me feel guilty for not giving all my cash to charity, RANT OVER, time for a brew...”
by buffering
Thursday, March 14 2013, 4:21PM
“As much as I believe that the town centre should come first the very fact that it has been to court in Leeds and been passed by the judge now means that it's time to accept that it's going to happen. The main focus should now be upon the council to ensure that everything possible is being done to ensure that the town centre can operate on an equal footing to the retail parks.
This means that the town transport links need to be on-the-ball, pot holes filled and road surfaces re-laid, unsightly and unnecessary street furniture removed, toilets built in a central location and most importantly, town centre visitors given the same free parking rights as those that are available at ALL of the retail parks.
Time for people to switch their focus onto making the council do something to enhance the town centre and as such to offer something that will entice the visitors at the new retail park to travel the extra distance into the town.”
by localad
Thursday, March 14 2013, 4:02PM
“I am all for the new developement, get it built, quickly as possible, especially the Debenhams and M&S, but I am surpised Costa is to open down there, they already have an outlet within Tesco.”