ASDA boss hits back at MP Sheerman's attack on new store plans

Sep 12 2009 by Henryk Zientek, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

SUPERMARKET firm ASDA has urged Huddersfield MP Barry Sheerman to back its plans for a £40m store in the town.

Leeds-based Asda wants to build a 49,000sq ft store on land currently occupied by Thomas Broadbent and Sons Ltd and bounded by Huddersfield ring road, Chapel Hill , Milford Street and Queen Street South.

Broadbent plans to make way for the development by transferring all operations to its site on the opposite side of Queen Street South – between Huddersfield University and the Examiner building.

Mr Sheerman has labelled the ASDA plan as a “disaster” for town centre retailers and claimed it would turn Huddersfield into a “clone town” like many others.

Mr Sheerman said the site should be developed as an educational quarter given the location of Huddersfield University and plans for Kirklees College to move to Chapel Hill.

But ASDA property communications manager Phil Bartram said Mr Sheerman was overlooking the many benefits that the new store would bring.

Said Mr Bartram: “ASDA is proposing a multi-million pound investment in Huddersfield – not something that we would do lightly – as we believe there is both a need and a desire for greater shopping choice, especially when the new offer would be close to the town centre.

“We firmly believe that an ASDA store, with ample parking located next to the town centre, will result in ‘linked shopping trips’ between ASDA and the town centre, which could potentially result in notable benefits for the existing traders.”

Mr Bartram said the new store would be given considerable autonomy to forge links with local communities and supporting local good causes, adding: “As such, I must strongly dispute Mr Sheerman’s comments linking this development with a fear around ‘clone towns’.”