PEACE may break out one day soon between the two sides in Ledbury’s superstore debate, but not quite yet.

This week Richard Hadley, chairman of the Ledbury Opposes Out of Town Superstores (LOTS) group, repeated his call for a joint photo opportunity featuring members from both sides of the argument.

He first suggested it on Wednesday, February 22, outside the Shire Hall as Herefordshire Council threw out Sainsbury’s application for a superstore off the Ledbury bypass.

Mr Hadley said: “This is a time not for further recriminations and arguments, but to move forward.”

He suggested a period of reflection “to decide what the town genuinely wants” and for the town to work together on projects such as the Ledbury Town Plan.

A call for community unity also came from Liz Harvey, one of Ledbury’s representatives on Herefordshire Council.

She said: “I hope now that people from all sides will come together to pool their ideas for improving Ledbury, and will get involved in the town planning activity that is just starting in the town. I’m keen to ensure that as many people as possible contribute positively to the updated plan – especially given the challenges we face as a community, as a county, and as a country.”

But Ledbury Supports Sainsbury’s (LESS) spokesman Colin Marschall said of Mr Hadley’s photo offer: “At the moment, emotions are still running high with certain members of the group, so it is not feasible.”

Meanwhile another LESS member, Yvonne White, who spoke in favour of the application, claimed her orange “Say Yes to Sainsbury’s” balloons had been ripped from her wall and pushed through the letterbox of her daughter’s hairdressing business down the street.

Concerning the suggestion of a joint LOTS/LESS photo opportunity, Mrs White said: “There is no olive branch from me. Absolutely not.”

Firm: we want to stay but may have to move

A BOOMING Ledbury business says it wants to remain in the town but may have to look elsewhere if the right offer comes along.

Galebreaker, based at the New Mills Industrial Estate, saw its industrial heat and weathershielding business grow by 20 per cent last year.

It had hoped to be able to move to new, custom-built premises in Bromyard Road as a result of Sainsbury’s planning application for a new superstore on its existing site. However the supermarket’s application was last week rejected by Herefordshire Council.

Galebreaker’s managing director Jeremy Scudamore said he was disappointed and that the decision still felt “a little raw”.

And, with a target for 50 per cent growth over the next five years and new premises required to achieve that, he added: “We want to stay in Ledbury, but if an alternative option arises, we have to consider it – we have to.

The business is growing fast.

The bottom line is, we need funds to grow. Sainsbury’s delivered that.”

He said he was now waiting to see what Sainsbury’s did next.

Sainsbury’s regional development executive Michael Adenmosun last week said the firm would continue to work with Galebreaker to progress its plans to relocate in Ledbury.

This week, Sainsbury’s spokesman Sue Bailey said that no further statement on its next move was likely for several weeks, as the company considered its options.

Galebreaker, which this week celebrated a £500,000 order for an oil rig in Singapore, arrived in Ledbury in 2008 from the Forest of Dean.

If it moves again it will look to have a 53,000 sq ft factory with 60 car parking spaces.