New supermarket and cinema - site secured
The proposed site, opposite McDonald's in Holbeach Road, Spalding. Photo (TIM WILSON): SG150212-114TW
A BIG-NAME supermarket and cinema could be on the cards for Spalding after a site was secured on the edge of town.
Richard Garvie, the man behind plans to regenerate Spalding, says he has national chains on board after reaching an agreement with the landowner of the site opposite the town’s McDonald’s on the A151 near its junction with the A16.
Mr Garvie, of Sustainable Spalding, hopes to reveal the names of the chains within a couple of weeks when he plans to launch a public consultation to ask residents what else they would like to see on the possible retail park.
He says the 12-acre site was highlighted as being the preferred choice by the people of Spalding during a consultation with 3,300 residents last year and talks have been ongoing since then.
He said: “It should only be a couple of weeks before we are ready to consult the public, but suggestions so far include a multi-screen cinema and a KFC drive-thru.
“But there is space on the site for other retails stores such as PC World or Matalan, for example, if that’s what people want.
“But the whole reason for doing this was to benefit Spalding town centre, so we are still open to ideas of putting the cinema elsewhere to improve footfall in the town.”
Mr Garvie hopes a planning application could be submitted in July or August and if things go smoothly work could begin by the new year.
The land which Mr Garvie is focusing on belongs to Paul Turnell, whose home is one of three on the site.
He has confirmed he has reached an agreement with Mr Garvie over the site acquisition, adding: “The developer still has a great deal of work to do and must liaise closely with the local authority going forward.
“However, if the proposed development/retail park can boost the local economy and create employment opportunities for the people of Spalding and surrounding areas then it has my support.”
Mr Garvie believes his proposal is streets ahead of others which are also in the early stages, including Corbo’s plans for Holland Market, which it is rumoured could also include a supermarket..
He said: “I have said from the start that any new supermarket development must be in the interest of the town.
“The site at the Sir Halley Stewart Field will not lead to any new investment in new facilities for Spalding, whilst my proposed development at Holbeach Road will generate millions of pounds worth of investment in new facilities in Spalding, will pay for the running costs of a regeneration company for five years and will also give significant additional funds to the district council by way of Section 106 money.”
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Weather for Spalding
Wednesday 23 May 2012
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Comments
There are 34 comments to this article
Page 1 of 3
Doo Hickey
Monday, February 27, 2012 at 04:46 PMAnybody on here who was in the 'team' that did the 'survey at all? - thought not - why so shy?.
joggaju
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 01:49 PM#32 Brilliant idea or move the library there instead a much more people friendly part of town than where it is now.
janec1951
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 11:46 AMWhat is going on here?? Now we have TWO proposed developments for the town. Why aren't the retailers who we are told are interested in taking units at these new sites taking the shops in the town center which are standing empty if they are keen to get into Spalding? Could it be the rents are too high? Of the two proposed sites surely the one nearer to the town center is preferable & likely to be of more benefit to the town. As for the cinema idea,the Red Lion Center looks like a good place for that to me. It would be an ideal place for a one stop night out. Restaurant, bar,over 25's club,cinema etc. Anyone interested in setting that up? Keep things as central as possible to get people into the town.
Doo Hickey
Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 07:11 PMAnybody here yet that were part of the '3,300' residents who took part in his magical 'Survey'? - thought not... Be nice if he could produce factual evidence of that 'survey' before going any further although he was supposed to be giving the 'results' months ago to one Gary Porter, who seems to be rather quiet on the matter of late.
Spalding Jerry
Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 05:24 PMI think the Council are right to be seriously concerned about this Mr Garvie. It would seem he is putting himself before Spalding. Before I’m accused of being naive, I’m all for new investment in the town and of course investors need to make a return, but this man’s blatant hunger for publicity is just shabby. I imagine he hopes to make a quick buck in commission from a Cinema company and leave Spalding as soon as he can.
wigwam
Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 01:31 PMA Decent cinema, KFC and an ASDA please!!!
Mr Angry of Tonbridge
Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 12:59 PMSpalding had two quite large cinemas that were so well used they are now Mcarthy & Stone flats and a bingo hall. I believe most people tend to buyrent DVDs and many are also coming round to streaming films off the internet. Shops are going out of fashion with the use of Amazon and other on line stores, so why build more out of town when the centre has empty ones? Change is inevitable as we find more efficient ways of going about our daily lives. Progress is not building new shops, it is more efficient delivery of goods and services so that our lives are easier and the costs lowered or at least not increased. Hopefully, we will all have more leisure time in the future. I would prefer to spend it in a nice piece of parkland rather than shops where goods are more expensive than I can get them delivered for by shopping on line.
James Mark
Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 11:20 AMI can't see any suggestion the council is in bed with anyone from this report?
ourtownsdead
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 11:42 PMour council leader should be sacked.. completely out of touch and clueless to what is happening to the town. in fact he has highlighted is is happy with it and happy with the mass migrants too !!! GET HIM OUT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bgbboy
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 08:29 PMGarvie is a Walter Mitty ... a poor deluded BOY ... he's not a man is he ? lets be honest .... Stupid, illogical, hair brained schemes publicised by an idiot ... and if Porter has climbed into bed with this moron ? he should be sacked
Doo Hickey
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 01:40 PMSTOP PRESS!!!!!!!! So far there have been five applications for opening a £5 Car Wash Service on the site plus interest from those, who can't be named, who want to open up a Drive Through el Cheapo Fag N Booze Mart with an opening offer of a 5% discount for those driving Audi's.
Doo Hickey
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 09:54 AMUntil I SEE anything real about the mythical 3,300 residents and oddly none of his survey 'helpers' have made themselves known and backed him up, how could can you trust him? - he has all the look of an overgrown schoolboy and not a high flying property developer as he owns no land, seems to have no money to invest in anything otherwise think he would have bored us to death with that one - would you buy a car (or gob stopper considering his appearance) from him? - and I think we have our very own Private Pike.. or as Capt. Mainwearing would say 'Stupid boy...' Think he should go back to his paper round and think of another ploy to attact a bit of attention to himself. What is certain is he is giving Spalding a bad name and making it a laughing stock as we still have the Red Lion mess still to consider. What is odd is that none of the media as in TV and radio have so far not touched him - do they know something we don't as if you Google or Yahoo him, all his stuff comes from the Spalding Guardian or Free Press. Odd or wot?.
ourtownsdead
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 09:42 AMHollygoLula, as much as i would like to see just the one huge eastern european shop out of town.. imagine the chaos it would cause to the public, its bad enough the drunk drivers driving to the sheep market to pick up there bargain booze and fake fags. but to put the risk to the general public of them making a longer journey when drunk is really not the best of ideas.
HollygoLula
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 08:03 AMSeems odd that on one hand we are talking about the death of the town centre, then on the other an out of town development. I think the cinema sounds a good idea, then perhaps the South Holland centre could cater for a more niche market?. Or maybe the problem with foriegn supermarkets could be solved......build one big one out of town? Then it can be as garish as the owners wish?
springs
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 11:25 PMWho is this Richard Garvie fella, (look at google) wanting to take trade out of the town, we need development in town to attract people into the town, not take it out and where has this dream suddenly come from, a cinema, pc world, out of town supermarket what next?? Lets keep the trade in town.
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