Tesco / ASDA !!!

[ringi]

I am not sure that you could find anyone who would agree that Whaley Bridge's shops have improved since Tesco arrived. Glossop had strong local independents before Tesco and contiues to do so. Buxton is a larger town than either of these others (and Marple) and the main street remains a depressing retail experience in a historic town that should be able to rival Harrogate.

I would have agreed that Buxton was the larger of the above towns, but a quick check reveals the following populations:

Glossop          32,428
Marple            23,480
Buxton            20,836
Whaley Bridge   6,226

All figures taken from the 2001 census (the latest available to me).

Not that it makes any difference at all. Just interesting.

Sorry this post has got longer then I was hoping…

I don’t think the population numbers are that meaningful on their own, we need to know how many people have no other close by option for shopping, where “close by” is defined relative to the distance to other options.

I think there a lot of people that live outside of Buxton, but are a lot closer to Buxton than anywhere else.  There are also all the day-trippers and holiday makers that do there food shopping while visiting Buxton.

So without comparative drive time figures between each postcode segment and shopping locations, as well as the data about the population numbers for each segment split by “shopper type”, there is very little chance of understanding the effect of these population numbers.   No one outside of the planning departments of the big shop chains have the access to the data and the systems to process it, yet alone the skills to understand it.

(A long time ago I worked on such a system that was used by our customers to work out if they would benefit from say a new road, and therefore if they should offer to pay for the new road as part of the planning deal.  It is complex, as for example, it was claimed that changing a drive time that was 20 minutes to 18 minutes for your compactor can have more effect then changing a drive time from 10 minutes to 5 minutes for your shop)

We also need to understand that it is very likely a lot of the shops in place locations like Stalybridge would have close regardless of a new supermarket being built.   (I now do most of my book shopping for example on line, and have not brought a book from a bookshop other than a charity shop for years)

[sgk]

Well done on the song lyrics, but there is absolutely zero evidence that a supermarket on Hibbert Lane would sound the death knell of the town centre in favour of more big chains.

There's some similarities here to Stalybridge, which was "blessed" with a Tesco on the edge of town a few years ago.  Remaining shops mostly closed down, or became pubs / betting offices / kebab shops.

The sad state of Stalybridge Town Centre

[Harry]

I must admit to be both wrong and surprised at the relative population sizes of Buxton compared to Marple and Harrogate. I think my mistake come sfrom a perception of each town. Buxton has a Morrisons, waitrose, marks and Spencer and a Tesco, so you could be forgiven for thinking it had a larger population.

I was in Ashbourne last Saturday, now theres another place to consider when it comes to a healthy set of local shops sitting side by side with two supermarkets ( sainsbury and waitrose) but then again Ashnourne like Buxton is a Market Town supporting a larger hinterland of country.

Buxton has Morrisons, Waitrose, Marks & Spencer and Tesco, plus Sainsburys Local and 2 Co-ops. With a smaller population than Marple, and still with lots of independent shops.

Now that is food for thought.

[moorendman]

I must admit to be both wrong and surprised at the relative population sizes of Buxton compared to Marple and Harrogate. I think my mistake come sfrom a perception of each town. Buxton has a Morrisons, waitrose, marks and Spencer and a Tesco, so you could be forgiven for thinking it had a larger population.

I was in Ashbourne last Saturday, now theres another place to consider when it comes to a healthy set of local shops sitting side by side with two supermarkets ( sainsbury and waitrose) but then again Ashnourne like Buxton is a Market Town supporting a larger hinterland of country.

[Dave]

Glossop had strong local independents before Tesco and contiues to do so.

As does Marple.

Buxton is a larger town than either of these others (and Marple) and the main street remains a depressing retail experience in a historic town that should be able to rival Harrogate.

An interesting point, but the comparison doesn't withstand much inspection!  They are both historic spa towns, with a chilly climate, but that's about all they have in common!  Harrogate has a population of over 70,000. It is fortunate enough to be Leeds's prime middle-class commuter settlement, at the apex of the so-called 'golden triangle' (Ilkley, Wetherby, Harrogate) where property prices are at Wilmslow/Alderley Edge/Hale Barns levels.  Buxton has a population of about 20,000 (less than Marple) and its shops serve an entirely different and much less affluent market.  

The more you think about all this, though, the more you realise that when a new supermarket arrives at a town the consequences are very difficult to predict - it depends so much on a range of local factors, and each case seems to be different.  My hunch is that if it happens in Marple, a few small local shops will suffer in the short term, but other new businesses will take their place, because of the significant increase in the number of people who shop in Marple rather than in Hazel Grove or wherever.   So the medium term effect (over five years or so) will turn out to be positive.  But I could be wrong........

[Harry]

I am not sure that you could find anyone who would agree that Whaley Bridge's shops have improved since Tesco arrived. Glossop had strong local independents before Tesco and contiues to do so. Buxton is a larger town than either of these others (and Marple) and the main street remains a depressing retail experience in a historic town that should be able to rival Harrogate.

I would have agreed that Buxton was the larger of the above towns, but a quick check reveals the following populations:

Glossop          32,428
Marple            23,480
Buxton            20,836
Whaley Bridge   6,226

All figures taken from the 2001 census (the latest available to me).

Not that it makes any difference at all. Just interesting.

[moorendman]

I am not sure that you could find anyone who would agree that Whaley Bridge's shops have improved since Tesco arrived. Glossop had strong local independents before Tesco and contiues to do so. Buxton is a larger town than either of these others (and Marple) and the main street remains a depressing retail experience in a historic town that should be able to rival Harrogate.

[Miss Marple]

Just heard on the news that 16 check out staff have won the lottery at the Hyde Store so lots of job vacancies there now 

[Miss Marple]

We have had requests for more posters so if you have not managed to down load one they will be on the MIA stall this Sat in Market St

[Miss Marple]

Just noticed the newspaper bill boards 'Support for a Supermarket '. I wondered why the Action Line was getting calls about where the supermarket is to be built from interested residents who believe it or not are still not aware it is planned for the Hibbert Lane site, once informed they were appalled or amazed.   So good publicity whatever way you look at it .  I am a great believer in that well known saying 'you are only as good as your opposition '
Lots more signatures again today for our fast growing petition which has now over 7,000 What A Team !

[sooty2]

Was your identical twin brother there by any chance?If so, he could could enlighten you of it's content.

[Duke Fame]

Just been to Question Time at Buxton Lane Campus it was very enjoyable even though I didn't join in the debate.  The panel were very informative especially when it came to debating the proposed sale of the Hibbert Lane Campus lots of intresting points were raised by the panel and like wise the questions from the audience were well thought out, and received well thought out responses   All in all it was a very interesting and productive debate and provided a lot of useful information for MIA 

I'd liked to have gone to that, I thought it was gardeners QT tonight

[Miss Marple]

Just been to Question Time at Buxton Lane Campus it was very enjoyable even though I didn't join in the debate.  The panel were very informative especially when it came to debating the proposed sale of the Hibbert Lane Campus lots of intresting points were raised by the panel and like wise the questions from the audience were well thought out, and received well thought out responses   All in all it was a very interesting and productive debate and provided a lot of useful information for MIA 

[Smithy166]

I read somewhere on this forum that they were 10 of them, thats a 40% increase! (or buy 6, get 4 free) <-- sorry, couldn't resist 

No it said that there were ten at the photo shoot on Sat , picture coming soon !

*feels like hes just made an idiot of himself* 

[Miss Marple]

I read somewhere on this forum that they were 10 of them, thats a 40% increase! (or buy 6, get 4 free) <-- sorry, couldn't resist 

No it said that there were ten at the photo shoot on Sat , picture coming soon !