A new piece of research has been published by the ACS (Association of Convenience Stores).

It challenges the way supermarkets tell planners that their big new stores will create new jobs.

It outlines for the first time why planners, councils, the media and the public should take their figures with a teaspoon of salt.

Its conclusions are:

• The assumption that job creation figures can be taken as an indicator positive employment impact is fundamentally flawed. It needs to be addressed through a number of approaches:

1. Systematic use of ‘full time equivalent’ (FTE) jobs - because simple head count job creation figures are misleading. The body of evidence from academics and practitioners supporting the use of FTE calculations is overwhelming. Thiswould enable planners to appreciate the reality of expected employment.
2. Using an 18 month time frame to consider employment impacts -  becuse it takes time to see the impact. This will allow the incremental effect on existing businesses to be considered.
3. Use of a standardised methodology for calculating job losses: Job losses caused by new developments are difficult to predict. However, a standardised methodology to calculate the anticipated job destruction associated with a development will help ensure that approving a planning application will not impair the vitality and viability of the local area.

• Job creation is clearly high on the agenda of many planning authorities looking to stimulate economic development.
• However, when assessing applications, planners should be extremely cautious of being seduced by the promise of job creation in hard times.
• Not only are these figures misleading but the reality could actually be a net loss in jobs down the track and the destruction of small businesses and entrepreneurs capable of generating exactly that economic development.

Download Job Creation Claims in New Supermarket Retail Developments.

Powys Planning Committee has today approved the demolition of the Drill Hall and construction of the new  extension to the Co-op.

It is subject to some minor planning constrictions, and a concern that reference is made to the original function of the hall in the form of a plaque.

The committee also expressed severe irritation with Tesco and withdrawing their planning application at the 11th hour, and hoped that the Council will be compensated for their expense and trouble.

After a year long battle, Tesco has admitted defeat and withdrawn its application to build a store in the ancient capital of Wales, Machynlleth.

The bid by the supermarket behemoth divided the town, but the scheme’s opponents were always careful to keep the discussion about the issues of this particular development.

The Powys County Council Planning Officer’s judgement was initially that the scheme should be refused because the development was away from the main shopping streets and would divert shoppers from these shops.

The Welsh Assembly Government then commissioned an investigation into the effect on traffic and pedestrians.

This decided that on several grounds the proposal was inadequate. They made their decision last week and this week, Tesco pulled out.

However, Tesco has indicated it may put in another proposal.

“This decision is a relief and vindicates many of the points we made all along,” said David Thorpe, one of the campaigners of the group opposing the plans.

“We hope that the vacant land can now be used for something the town really needs, like affordable housing, which would create real employment and further economic activity.”

The Co-op’s planning application to expand their store and knock down the Drill Hall is due to be discussed by the PCC planning committee on 29 June.

The Agenda (at http://tinyurl.com/3aj9ged) includes:

• demolition of old Community Hall at Heol Maengwyn, Machynlleth
• P2009 0807 Co-operative Group - Erection of Foodstore, Heol Maengwyn, Machynlleth

It will be held in THE CHAMBER, NEUADD MALDWYN, WELSHPOOL, on TUESDAY 29 June at 10:00AM

Wednesday 6.30, March 24, upstairs White Lion
Dydd Mercher 6.30, 24 Mawrth, Llew Gwyn , ar y llofft.

To discuss a presentation we hope to give at the upcoming Powys Council planning committee meeting that will decide on the Co-op and Tesco.

The planning committee meeting at which the Co-op case was to have been heard alone was cancelled.

We’ll discuss the latest research on the impact of a Tesco opening in small market towns on jobs and other shops - and possibly traffic - and how to present it. A full agenda will be circulated on Monday.

From the Cambrian News, 03 March 2010
A TESCO store in Machynlleth wouldn’t see new jobs created according to a new survey.

And opponents of the scheme have said the survey mirrors their concerns about what a new Tesco store could mean for the town.

The report looked at six small towns - Porthmadog in Gwynedd, Ruthin in Denbighshire, Ellesmere in Shropshire, Beverley in East Yorkshire, Stalham in Norfolk and Skipton in North Yorkshire - and investigated whether the introduction of a new Tesco store reduced unemployment in the towns.

The findings of the report by Richard Stankiewicz of the Spatial Analysis Team of Barnsley Council said: “The opening of supermarkets did not boost the labour market of any of the six towns sampled in terms of claimant count unemployment, despite hundreds of jobs being claimed to be created.”

In November there was an S4C current affairs programme, Byd ar Bedwar, about Tesco moving into rural Wales - a strong focus on Machynlleth. Will the butcher speaks against the development and they show how the high street in Ruthin has suffered since Tesco opened. We have copies of the DVD if anyone wants to borrow them - held in the Deco shop on Maengwyn Street - below is a Flash video version.

Please come to the next discussion on Wednesday 6 Jan 6.30pm in the White Lion upstairs at the first Keep Mach Special get-together of 2010. We hope many people can come, with some renewed enthusiasm after the break. Please pass this on to anyone you think may be interested.

On the agenda:

• how to spend the pledge money Mark’s asked for (some has been spent already, eg putting the packs for councillors together, sending dvds of the S4C programme; some will go on legal advice, but who can say how much yet? Other ideas?).
  - Preparing for the planning committee meeting. Powys planning committee apparently is gathering in Mach to decide the application of Tescos and the Co-op on Tuesday 12 January. If anyone knows the time, please tell us. It’s not on the Powys Planning website.

Offers to facilitate are welcome. Croeso i bawb - Welcome all.

[David writes] I felt privileged that Will Lloyd invited me to his annual prize-giving party in his abattoir on Tuesday.

Powys CC and WAG asked Halcrow Group to audit the Transport Assessment written by Colin Buchanan, that was submitted with the planning application for a Tesco store in Machynlleth. Here are some of the findings:

“Significant concern” about the proposed site access

The proposal is to control this by 3 way traffic lights, with the south side primary signal head mounted on a mast arm over the carriageway.

Halcrow says this would “impact adversely on adjacent properties” and that “the carriageway visibility of the signal head will be sub-standard”.

Other concerns near the site

Traffic queuing from the Town Clock direction to these traffic lights would “cause particular difficulty for residents of Tanrallt Street”.

Heol y Doll footways “have significant lengths close to 1m in width, which will be a considerable impediment to choosing to access the store by foot.” “It will be necessary for pedestrians to step in to the carriageway if required to pass others.” “It is likely that transporting several shopping bags will be at best awkward and in some places unsafe.”

Traffic data should be re-calculated

Halcrow rejects Buchanan’s argument that holiday traffic is only of significance on four days a year (August market days). “To account for holiday traffic, 17% of the base traffic should be added to the predicted 2010 and 2025 flows.”

“Trip patterns must be re-examined” as well, due to errors and poor assumptions about where shoppers would travel from. Buchanan worked on the assumption that many people currently travel north from Machynlleth to shop and that traffic over the Dyfi Bridge would be reduced if they shopped at Tesco instead. “This is at odds with the Household Survey”. It is likely that there would be more traffic over the bridge, not less; mainly because Tesco will draw people from Meirionnydd who currently shop at Tywyn and Dolgellau, but also because “some visitors [from the east] will use the B4404 [through Llanwrin] to access the store”, to avoid the congested Town Clock junction. “This may give rise to further concerns both in respect of the A487/A493 junction and the integrity of the adjacent Dyfi Bridge.”

Mini roundabout unacceptable

Buchanan proposed a mini roundabout at the Town Clock junction because it “will be significantly over capacity with the development”. Halcrow says the design “operates less efficiently than claimed”. “There are visibility and geometric concerns” and the proposal “is unacceptable”.

Download the document:

transport-assessment-audit-halcrow-oct09