Asda Update

This development in its current form simply cannot be allowed to happen. I was seriously considering purchasing a new property on the Wimpey development, and when these plans and the appeal came to light I dropped the idea like a hot brick.

Personally I think that the supermarket will bring the area down due to the constant traffic of customers, not to mention lorries arriving through out the night to restock the stock. The building itself in the latest proposal is an aluminium clad, 3 storey nightmare.

The building of supermarket with 216 car park spaces would cause chaos in the Rawreth area. Having whitnessed the growth of Sainsbury’s at the Rayleigh Weir over the years, I believe that the Asda development has the potential to balloon in the same way. Nice idea having a building with cafes, hairdresser and community room, housed in a building sympathetically designed. I feel that this would be used as a sacrificial pawn, and would be knocked down to allow the carpark to grow, and the supermarket to expand. Anyone remember the carpet shop, Whimpy Burger and news agent at Sainsbury’s Rayleigh Weir. That soon got demolished for a bigger car park to go in. Learn a lesson from previous mistakes, once we let these people in, they’ll evolve in way that we cannot stop.

I will concede that a small metro store, with minimal parking, and short operating hours could bring something to the area that is lacking. A pedestrianised area with boutique shops, pavement cafes all surrounded by apartments/houses (to stop sprawl/redevelopment), sympathetically designed to blend in, could be viewed as a positive asset by all. But a great big wharehouse style Asda is an absolute no – if the appeal succeeds, this will mark the beginning of the end for Rawreth, which will be a tragedy.