IN other supermarket news, I see that Slawit could soon be echoing with the ringing of tills and the rustling of plastic bags.
Dransfield Properties has invited we humble villagers to come and view their plan to convert a site off Britannia Road into a 12,000sq ft food store of unknown origin.
The land in question is currently home to an old mill which is firmly in the “crumbling edifice” category rather than the “towering testament to Victorian industry” section.
The loss of these buildings would not be mourned by anyone.
But is a supermarket the best use of this site? Absolutely, in the opinion of this humble comer-inner.
My aforementioned alma mater, the Co-op, already has a shop in Slawit, but they could do with a little competition.
Some people on the Examiner’s Facebook page have already expressed concerns about how the other businesses in the village would cope if a new supermarket was allowed to rule Britannia Road.
Slawit’s many independent shops are part of its appeal and I have faith they can withstand competition from whichever huge company is trying to open up on their doorsteps.
The pies from E&R Grange on Carr Lane will be just as award-winning, whether or not there’s a supermarket round the corner offering pale imitations.
And the bread in the Green Valley Grocer will not taste any less delicious because there’s a heartless multinational selling baguettes in the vicinity.
A new supermarket in Slawit would hit certain shops’ takings. But the good businesses with loyal customers should be able to survive and thrive regardless of who pitches up on Britannia Road.
