Where's our supermarket?

5.00.00pm GMT Sat 23rd Jan 2010

During the June 2009 County Council election campaign we were overwhelmed by the number of people who told us how disappointed they were that the application for a major new superstore for Chatteris had been turned down by Fenland District Council.

On the doorstep almost everyone said they thought that the extra customer choice and the local employment would benefit our town. There was outright anger that the Head of Planning at Fenland District Council had claimed that there was 'no demand' for a new supermarket in Chatteris, and anger and frustration that the Conservative councillors had voted it out.

So your Liberal Democrat team put out a card petition form across much of Chatteris and on election day collected over 600 signatures! Chris Howes presented these to Fenland District Council in September.

Update: a new supermarket application was submitted in November 2009. The application includes a 'hopper bus' link round Chatteris to enable residents to get there, and a pedestrian link underr the A141, which will benefit all those people wishing to cross this busy main road. Among a host of community benefits, improvements and moorings on Fenton Lode are proposed.

The application is due to be decided in February, and your Focus Team will keep you informed about progress.

Let's hope and trust that this time Fenland District Council listens, and for a change Chatteris gets the benefits and boost to the local economy that we need and deserve!