Start date needed for superstore (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Start date needed for superstore

8:30am Thursday 10th May 2012 in Our View By Telegraph & Argus

The announcement by Sainsbury’s yesterday of better than expected profit results must have initially seemed like positive news for Bingley.

The town is desperate for the supermarket giant to start work on the new superstore it has planning permission for on the former Bradford & Bingley headquarters site.

Traders and councillors believe the development will help kickstart the retail trade in the centre of the town as well as ridding the area of a building that is becoming a derelict eyesore.

So it was frustrating and disappointing for the them to learn that the company, despite pledging to continue its efforts to try and catch market leader Tesco in the food retail industry, is reducing its expansion plans.

The company has previously warned it would be next year at the earliest before it would start work on the Bingley store. It seems almost perverse that Sainsbury’s has a site with planning permission on, a market place that has welcomed them, and traders willing them to build here, and yet it is still prevaricating.

Everyone appears to be in agreement that the town wants the store, so the question has to be asked, why can’t they just simply get on with it?

Sadly, there is no answer forthcoming at the moment, as the company has failed to accept overtures for a meeting with business leaders from the town.

At the very least, the company should rethink this and send someone to explain to the people of Bingley why they have put the store on the backburner and when they will realistically start work.

Understandably, any delay is viewed with some cynicism, and many are concerned that the date will continue to slip as we get into next year.

Pressure must be brought to bear on Sainsbury’s to give a firm commitment on a start date – and to make that start date as early as possible.