The in- town Industrial Estate at Sidmouth’s Alexandria Road is rumoured to be a possible site for change of use to a large supermarket.
The public are asking these questions:
- What is there now? What would be the best use for this site?
- Could the access problems be solved, as some Town Councillors have suggested?
- Where are the ransom strips, and who owns them?
You can start the discussion on http://sidmouthindependentnews.wordpress.com
Alexandria Rd Industrial Estate, Sidmouth
Save Our Sidmouth 
October 22, 2012 at 4:09 pm
Cllr P. Diviani says there has been no approach by Morrison’s. Other Councillors have clearly been misled. Who’s correct?
October 22, 2012 at 10:20 pm
Readers of the Sidmouth Herald may remember the headline ‘Morrisons eye up Alexandria estate’ (01/06/2012). The article began,’Supermarket giant Morrisons has declared an interest in the Alexandria Industrial Estate, say the owners of a fourth generation family firm that owns half the site.’ It continued:’On Morrisons and the Alexandria estate, Tim Ford said:”We have been approached by large companies, like a supermarket and builders’ merchants, but only own 50% of the site, so we can’t do anything with it. In terms of what might happen in the future, we don’t know the answer” ……and,” We have been approached by Morrisons, but they do not have an option on this land. No contract has been signed.”
Three months later, another Herald article (07/09/2012) revealed that ‘Angry civic leaders have blamed supermarket Morrisons’ interest in the Alexandria Industrial Estate for ending a big-money bid to finally force better access into the site.’ At their meeting on Monday, ‘Town councillors sensationally accused their district counterparts of holding “discussions” with the retailer—something the authority has categorically denied.’ The meeting heard that ‘Cllr Hughes was told by a county colleague that the access scheme had to be “suspended or at least delayed” as there were “allegedly other interests which are currently very sensitive”. The article quoted Cllr Christine Drew as saying ,”It’s obvious it’s going to be a supermarket. I feel devastated.”
EDDC Leader Cllr Diviani couldn’t be expected to read the Sidmouth Herald as he lives so far away. But that’s hardly the point….or is it?
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