Marpleexile's view is cynical but, I fear, probably correct.
Compare and contrast:
Poynton. Pop 14,000. A thriving shopping centre. Four supermarkets (Asda, Morrisons, Co-op, Waitrose) catering for all markets. Good local shops which seem to be doing very well. Poynton attracts shoppers from quite a wide area because it's pleasant, and above all because the range of shops means the shoppers know they will be able to find what they want.
Marple. Pop 23,000. A very mixed shopping centre - some local shops doing well, others appearing to struggle. Despite the much bigger population, only two supermarkets (Asda and a small Co-op). Far from attracting shoppers into Marple, the flow here is in the other direction - many of us prefer to go elsewhere to shop because Asda doesn't always meet our requirements.
So there you are. You can't turn the clock back, but it's hard to resist speculating on what might have been.
1. We know that the Co-op would have sold up, come what may, because they made a national decision to sell off all their larger supermarkets.
2. If by that time the Asda Hibbert Lane scheme had already been going ahead, obviously the Co-op would have found a different buyer.
3. If that other buyer had been a different kind of supermarket (Sainsbury's, Waitrose, even - gulp! - M&S!), we would now have a proper choice of supermarkets in Marple, just as Poynton does, and that would have helped to retain shoppers in Marple, to the benefit of all of us.
But thanks to our councillors, we are where we are.........
