Asda developer shocked after call to block Blandford plan

“Well mrsmercury what a ridiculous set of arguments you make. I have spent many years in retail management, most of it in a superstore environment, so I know exactly what impact this development is going to bring. ASDAs employment practices and pay scales are not secret, they're followed by most supermarkets these days as are their marketing campaigns - once again, I know as I was responsible for opening several superstores and putting aggressive marketing techniques into practice. Within a few months of opening many of the jobs created at ASDA will be "rationalised" and others made into zero hour contracts.
I don't propose to go back over my arguments, but a 35p or 70p town centre parking charge isn't discouraging, there are two cafés in the nearby business parks, the discounted fuel at ASDA will rapidly put the Shell garage, who has to buy fuel at normal market prices, out of business, and as for a jaded town centre? Have you been to Weymouth lately, or Poole, or Dorchester and seen the shops going out of business? Blandford is weathering the recession extremely well - or it was before the ASDA plans were approved.
Idiot opinions such as yours do NOTHING for local economies, they just provide more work for me and my employers to cynically destroy local opposition and build our customer base to the point where we have no viable opposition and can impose total control over local prices.
Everyone is invited to the funeral of Blandford Town Centre - no flowers by request as they'll clash with the garishly painted, empty shop fronts courtesy of ASDA charity handouts...”

“I'm sorry mgleaden, but what a pompous bigotted attitude you have! 1) Blandford has very little (if any) 'cheap' housing, however the vast majority of it's residents drive - so have access to take their custom anywhere their fuel guage allows. 2) Residents supporting the application have not 'demanded' new shops or improved transport facilites - they merely indicated that it would improve their existance in the local area. 3) If those who you indicated, are 'happy' to travel and support 'struggling' traders (the struggle is due to inflated parking charges and high business rates) then why did they not travel to the public planning meeting to voice their concerns? 4) you are correct there is already a filling station close to the proposed site - and with the only competition to their prices being Tesco - they effectively have carte blanche to charge what they wish! 5) The proposed site/cafe would be a long walk from any 'refreshment' facility, so is hardly likely to impact on the increasing number of coffee/tea shops in the main town (about 12 at the last count!). 6) You have made some very presumptuous comments regarding employment ... a) 250+ jobs is hardly a 'few'! b) Do you know what pay scales are for the proposed employers? c) Do you have any proof that none of the prospective employees will be filling unskilled positions? 7) The Town is jaded and tatty, and in desperate need of 'prettying up'. As so many of the businesses in the Town are listed properties, they are infinately more expensive to keep looking at their best (to retain the integrity of the building). There is little or no money in the 'pot' to assist with this - so how else do you propose to help the traders improve the vista of their premises? Tesco was intitially permitted to install 2 franchises - a cobblers/key cutters, and dry cleaners - which is in direct competition to independants already in the town - with the added incentive of free parking. You are being very naive, if you assume that the local ecomony and independant traders will be able to stay afloat in the Town, without some kind of compromise. People will not travel to the jaded town of Blandford only to visit one of the myriad of refreshment emporiums, hairdressers/barbers or charity shops, and pay 40p to park for 30 minutes!! Many people in the Town and surrounding areas/villages are more likely to travel to Poole - use the wider variety of supermarkets there, and then wander through the shops in their town to shop for other items. That is the kind of trade and business that could be happening here - if the surrounding facilities and competition had more to offer than a trim, a drink and a pair of slightly worn slippers hiding behind tired facias? The Town does have some wonderful independant businesses, which are masked amongst the 3 c's... cuts, cups and charity - they need to be given the opportunity to flourish - not flounder. The proposed site has laid fallow for 11 years waiting for someone to make a rational suggestion for jobs and prosperity to be introduced, and NOTHING has been proffered... an Asda ( and the associated businesses) coming to the area will not affect the increasing populous - however it can offer jobs, facilites and prosperity which is very much needed...or do you have any better plans ??”

“Quite simply, ASDA isn't needed in Blandford and the only people who support it are the one that have bought cheap houses in a new development on the outskirts of town knowing there were no services up there. They are now demanding shops, improved bus routes, etc that have never existed and they knew didn't exist when they moved there. However, the rest of the town and surrounding villages are happy to travel into the town centre and support our already struggling local traders.
Incidentally, there is a filling station a short distance from the proposed ASDA site, along with several business units and small industrial estates, several independent cafes, etc, etc. The offer by ASDA to create a few minimum wage unskilled jobs, and pretty up a few shop fronts in the town centre is unlikely to offset the damage they'd cause to the local economy.”