Why supermarket expansion in Saffron Walden is a bad idea

A new Sainsbury's supermarket on the very edge of town near the civic amenity site at Thaxted Road or an expanded Tesco on Radwinter Road would be very bad news indeed for Saffron Walden.

More traffic and pollution

• Such out-of-town developments would inevitably generate more traffic (delivery lorries at the very least) through residential areas which are already congested at times (Thaxted Road, Peasland Road and Radwinter Road), or on roads which are full of sharp bends (the road from Thaxted).

• Everybody knows that supermarkets vastly increase the number of miles that our food travels. Taken with the extra traffic generated, supermarkets have the potential to increase our carbon footprint at a time when we need to be reducing it.

Less choice

• The arguments for increased competition are not credible. Walden already has a Waitrose (in the town centre) and a Tesco superstore. Sainsbury's has superstores in nearby Stortford and Haverhill. Consumers already have a lot of choice here.

• There is of course the issue of economic sustainability. A new or expanded superstore would inevitably drag people away from Walden town centre, threatening its vitality.

Less jobs

• There is a popular myth that a new or expanded supermarket will boost local employment and competition locally. Research by the British Retail Planning Forum - financed by the supermarkets themselves - has shown that every time a large supermarket opens, on average, 276 jobs are lost. It found that there is 'strong evidence that new out-of-centre superstores have a negative net impact on retail employment up to 15km away'.

Just say No!

Out-of-town shopping centres have, on the whole, proved to be a major contribution to urban traffic congestion and have played a part in the decline of our country's city centres. Planning for the future should not include any more.

Read the website of Save Walden Town Centre the non-party political campaign to keep Saffron Walden town centre a great place to visit and shop. Find out what you can do to help.

Read more about why Saffron Walden Liberal Democrats are opposed to a new Sainsbury's in Saffron Walden.

Read about how local Conservatives agreed to a land swap proposal with Sainsbury's.