A PACKED meeting aired concerns over the superstore proposals with traffic concerns and the effect on the High Street topping the list.

About 60 people attended a full Ledbury Town Council meeting where Philip King of PLK Properties gave a presentation.

They heard the initial proposal was for a 30,000 sq ft store, but the final building could be even larger, and the supermarket operator was still not decided.

Mr King revealed he had been in talks with Sainsbury’s, but added: “There are other operators who would be interested in coming here, not only Sainsbury’s, and these other operators may want something smaller, or they may want something bigger.”

He described the current cluster of buildings at Lawnside, such as the swimming pool and fire station, as “a group of buildings that don’t particularly work well together.”

But his idea for a 30,000 sq ft supermarket on the site, with access off Bye Street, led to some tough questioning.

Ledbury resident Mary Baxter said: “I believe that a 30,000 sq ft store is a superstore. A small store would be nice, but this is a superstore. Surely there isn’t a sufficient traffic flow along Bye Street, and there won’t be unless there are double yellow lines from top to bottom?”

Ledbury resident Mary Ford said: “People come to Ledbury because it is an old-fashioned market town, and we want to keep it that way, and keep the High Street prosperous.

“Can you imagine the disruption to Ledbury if you try to put an underground car park under a supermarket? I am horrified you are even giving the idea space.”

The proposed car park would have 270 parking spaces.

Mayor Terry Widdows, following legal advice, said councillors could ask questions but not give firm opinions, and there would be no further town council response until further legal advice had been taken.

Coun Tony Bradford said to Mr King: “How are you going to change the infrastructure to deal with the added traffic?

“How are you going to get a sufficient volume of deliveries into the store, unless you use a helicopter? You are going to have problems.”

Coun Keith Francis said: “What concerns me is that Lawnside is a tight residential area and I would be very concerned about the quality of life in that area.” Coun Terry Widdows raised concerns about the loss of green space on the recreation ground.

He said to Mr King: “We don’t have enough green space and you are proposing taking away some for a swimming pool on the recreation ground?”

Mr King said he would engage with local residents to understand their concerns and added: “We will try to come up with a solution to satisfy all parties”.

He said the next stage was to hold consultation workshops and consult with bodies including the fire service, Ledbury Town Council, Herefordshire Council and Ledbury Civic Society.

RESIDENTS living near the site of the proposed supermarket have described the plans as ludicrous.

Former trader Yvonne White, who lives opposite the site, said many feared for the future of Ledbury.

News of a photocall on the Recreation Ground leaked out onto Facebook on Wednesday, and she was joined at short notice by more than 30 adult protestors.

She said: “It definitely shows the strength of feeling. I was surprised to see all those people waiting when I got there.”

Mrs White, of Bye Street, who was a prominent voice in favour of a supermarket off the bypass in 2011, said: “A supermarket at Lawnside, in the centre of the town, would put every shop out of business.”

She is also objecting to the recreation ground plans. She said “The Recreation Ground belongs to the people, and it is well-used, by all walks of life.”

Mrs White is worried that initial plans for the swimming pool complex do not show car parking, and she fears that about one third of the green open space could be lost.

She also believes that Bye Street is no road for heavy lorries making deliveries to a superstore.

She said: “We built a bypass to take the lorries away from the town, and now we want to bring them back in?

“In my mind, even those who didn’t want a supermarket off the bypass cannot want such an enormous supermarket in the middle of town. It would definitely kill Ledbury.”

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