I’v had an email from Mrs Cunnew, President of Westgate & Westbrook Residents’ Association, the contents are
31 January 2012
Mrs E Cunnew
Westgate and Westbrook Residents’ Association
BY EMAIL ONLY
Dear Mrs Cunnew
Sainsbury’s, Westgate-on-Sea
I write to advise you regarding our plans to bring Sainsbury’s to Westgate-on-Sea. We have identified the former Hundreds Farm site on Canterbury Road as being a suitable site to accommodate a modest sized Sainsbury’s store of approximately 12,000 sq ft (1,114 sq m). The proposals would also provide up to 90 car parking spaces.
Through our plans we are seeking to increase supermarket choice locally and make main food shopping more convenient for residents of Westgate-on-Sea. Our store would also create up to 150 full and part time jobs for the local community. All new jobs would be supported by Sainsbury’s You Can training and development programme which enables colleagues to gain nationally recognised qualifications.
We understand that, as the President of Westgate & Westbrook Residents’ Association, you may require specific information about the proposals. This letter has also been sent to the Chair of WWRA, Councillor Thomas King, in his role as ward member for Westgate-on-Sea. We will be holding a public exhibition shortly and launching a project website where further information will be available.
Our exhibitions will be held at the Ursuline College, Canterbury Road at the following dates and times:
Friday 10 February, 5pm – 8pmSaturday 11 February, 10am – 4pm
Plans of the proposed new store will be on display and members of our team will be on hand to answer any questions that you may have. Comments forms will be available at the exhibition for you to complete and return.
To keep you updated, you will shortly be receiving an information leaflet about the proposals. This will be sent to the wider Westgate-on-Sea area and includes contact information and a website address for the project. Feedback can also be submitted online via the website.
If you are unable to attend either of the exhibition sessions, have any special requirements or requests for information, or do not receive the leaflet for any reason, please contact Dave Hoare or Maria Twomey of GKA, our public affairs representatives for Westgate-on-Sea, on 0845 602 1151 or by e-mail to
sainsburyswestgateonsea@gka.co.uk.Yours sincerely
Mike Van Den Berg
Sainsbury’s Regional Development Surveyor, South East
We would be happy to answer your questions and arrange a meeting with you if you would find that helpful.
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Does Westgate really want to lose the lovely community of shops to yet another Supermarket?
Canterbury Road is busy enough already with 2 large schools in the immediate vicinity.
Protest to the planning office in Margate now!
A Supermarket in Canterbury Road will close many of the local shops in Westgate and possibly Birchington. I should know, as my shop and the local Londis will be almost certainly closed.
What is more to the point. The developer was seeking to build 14 houses on this site. This plan was dismissed by the Council in late 2011 because of Highways fears about the amount of traffic access at this very busy point beside two large schools.
If this is the case then surely a supermarket with 90 parking places will cause a lot more traffic movement than 14 houses!
Also why the involvement by the Ursuline? Are they intending to sell some of their adjacent land to help offset their depts?
I hope that this will be robustly fought not only personally as my business will be closed, but also because it will cause absolute chaos on the road.
not too happy about this as my house is the nearest to this site.my garden is side on to
hundreds farm so will be very interested in seeing these plans.will like to know how long this is going to take to build if it goes ahead and what opening hours they plan to have.
will i have a great big wall/fence at side of garden blocking out sunlight and how close will
there be cars parking on other of wall.will be asking lots of questions to these people at
their showing next week!!!!
I live 80 feet from the farm boundary,
The site has had planning rejected by various local residents.
I’ve lived hear 43 yrs and the site is in need of development as it’s becoming a dumping area and is unsightly.
I’ve spoken to some of my neighbours and they think it’s a very good idea and I don’t think it will affect westgate town, if anything it will ease the congestion from Westwood ( chaos ) cross.
I’m an ex butcher from westgate & know that most of the people that shop in supermarkets don’t go to our town anyway !!! So this shouldn’t make much of an impact on our town.
At the end of the day the locals that appealed to mr Richardson’s plan to build 14 houses have made him decide to sell the land for development to sainsburys .
I live 80 feet from the farm boundary,
The site has had planning rejected by various local residents.
I’ve lived hear 43 yrs and the site is in need of development as it’s becoming a dumping area and is unsightly.
I’ve spoken to some of my neighbours and they think it’s a very good idea and I don’t think it will affect west gate town, if anything it will ease the congestion from Westwood ( chaos ) cross.
I’m an ex butcher from west gate & know that most of the people that shop in supermarkets don’t go to our town anyway !!! So this shouldn’t make much of an impact on our town.
At the end of the day the locals that appealed to mr Richardson’s plan to build 14 houses have made him decide to sell the land for development to sainsburys .
This is great news for the area!! Consistently we see individuals (probably of a certain age) moan and groan about any form of growth and progression in Thanet whether it be a new supermarket or anything. Raising the same excuses “local trade” “noise/traffic to the area” blah blah blah… It’s irrelevant for those who use the local stores, as you will continue to do so and even if a Sainsbury’s was opened…. Whilst those who are forced to use those overpriced shops I.e. Co-op /m&s, another better alternative.
Thanet is a depressed area, thousands out of work and no jobs! We should embrace organisations such as Sainsbury’s who offer to invest in this area, creating an alternative and offering over 150 JOBS!! (how many companies do YOU see doing that in Thanet).
Stop suppressing growth and improvement! Let the youth and those out of work have the opportunity to work and those who want greater choice to have it – and for god sake STOP MOANING!!
I think it is a great idea, westgate needs a big shop, i have to travel to westwood cross alot of times during the week and it does waste petal money, there are no big shops in westgate, you always got to go out of area just to get something, i shop at sainsburys and it will be so great to be able to walk to a superstore then waste loads of time getting to 1, Thanet has to change its image because margate practically destroyed thanets reputation with chavs and immigrants aswel as other things, its about time westgate got some money spent on it ! it would also benifit the schools at lunch time, the students can get healthy food from sainsburys, and also it would benifit the older population, as they will not need to go far to do there shopping. i have been waiting for something like this to happen to westgate, because what has westgate got? nothing ! shops that just over charge you, building a sainsburys wont shut shops in westgate you fools, margate only suffered coz its image, i personally do not go to margate high street as i find it filthy and there is rubbish everywhere! westgate is clean and will remain clean! Sainsburys FTW !! next they need to build a maccy’d's or kfc
Get real, Sainsburys is the last thing westgate needs. We have lots of small shops in Westgate offering a personal service that only they can provide. We also have an adequate supermarket (the co-op) plus other outlets selling groceries. NO WAY Does Westgate need McDonald’s or KFC.
Why do we need to be bombarded with these large supermarkets taking over any empty space they can get their greedy hands on. Havent we got enough of them already!!!
Yes, I do have an axe to grind about it ,as our garden will back directly onto this eyesore but we moved here to get away from the busy london life only to be told the stylish houses that were going to be built on the site have now changed to an ugly impersonal supermarket . Lets fight this application as strongly as possible to save our area and local shops. We dont want you here Mr Sainsbury leave Westgate unmolested.
The sale of the hundreds farm site will enable Coolgrade the previous owners of the site to make another approach to buy the blind home now deaf school on Westgate Sea front. Coolgrade already own the former Grenwich Hotel site and former London House School of English site. Sainsburys see the long term potential of buying the site because once all the developement has taken place and been completed in Westgate the store then becomes viable. What one also has to look at is that mothers will do their shopping at the store prior to picking up their children, this leaving a potential 90 less cars parked on the Canterbury Road during term time. Then of course we have the advantage of when the store is closed the youngsters will be able to use the carpark as a skid park rather than use the playing field, this also has the benifit of us not having the youngsters congregating on the sea front or outside the local shops. A further benefit of this will be that extra complaints will be made to the local councillors giving them something extra to do. The lights from the store will be of benefit to the houses around the store as they won’t have to turn the lights on so early in the winter + they will have an early alarm call when deliveries are made in the morning. I jest on some items. Look at the size of the site for the new sainsbury store at westwood and the number of parking spaces. Do we realy need the Westgate store ?
You have invited us to vote in a poll; unfortunately my copy of this poll is erroneous.
Canterbury Road is an exceptionally busy road with two large secondary schools very close to this proposed site. During the start and finish of the school day it is already mayhem along that part of the road, and this new development will lead to chaos. Whilst I am not against competition and I know it would create some part time jobs,probably at the loss of some businesses both in Westgate and nearby Birchington, I fear for the safety of the school children crossing this already busy road. Let’s put the safety of our children first for once and put this site to better use.
i live on the farm stables and personally i think its great news for local residents, its just what the area needs. im fed up going to londis and surrounding shops paying through the nose when sainsburys will probably half what im paying at the mo.
cheers mark
I’m not against the new supermarket I feel that the shops in westgate are to pricey, and perhaps this would bring prices down, a bit of healthy competition might be good for all of us. Only one issue is that Tesco has just built an express store at the end of Westbrook avenue do we need more than one!! The fact that sainsburys are Making 150 jobs and a few more in Tesco this must be good for the community.