Don’t they realise what would be in store for town and traders?

Nov 6 2008 by Margaret Shaw, Hamilton Advertiser

I AM writing in response to the article in last week’s Advertiser.

I find it sad and disappointing to learn that Asda plan to open a store in Larkhall. Without a doubt it will have a devastating effect not only on the town but will mean the end of the small local traders on the main street.

Asda, owned by Walmart, is a retail giant which is not interested in a share of the market place; they want all of it. We have an Asda superstore less than four miles away, in Hamilton, plus others in Blantyre, Motherwell and Newmains. The necessity for one in Larkhall is difficult to comprehend.

Why do our council officials show more loyalty to this corporate monster than to the community they are supposed to serve?

It does not take a great deal of intelligence or insight to see what will happen to our town if this development is allowed. The evidence is obvious. You only need to look around existing towns in Britain to see the ruin and decay in the empty town centres; vibrant and interesting traditional towns left bleak and empty when Asda move in.

Go onto the Internet and google ‘Asda and its effect on small towns’. It’s a depressing picture.

Mr Craig (SNP) thinks Larkhall needs more retail space. If he supports this idea, he’ll soon have all the empty retail space he wants when the present shops close.

MSP Ms Gillan’s comment that she supported Asda coming in if it doesn’t affect the existing businesses says nothing. No matter where Asda open a store it impacts negatively on the community of that town as well as the small businesses it competes with.

These are small traders; local people who share in the community of the town they serve. A quote from Corporate Watch states “Supermarket development compromises the economic viability of small independent retailers, increases traffic and destroys the social role that small shops provide in bringing together communities and fostering trust about the products supplied.”

The site for this store is even more crucial given that it will be placed far enough away from the main street to make a major difference. While the Co-op and Somerfield lie in the very heart of the town, the position of the new Asda store will simply draw customers away from the main street, to the detriment of the local traders. It is all part of their strategy and we’ve seen it all before.

It’s frustrating to see that while Asda will have 350 car spaces to allow their customers to shop unhindered. In the town itself, the road has been narrowed thus reducing the number of spaces available. Parking restrictions put in place, the introduction of traffic wardens, and the increased amount of yellow lines all make shopping in the town even more challenging.

The major impact of this store will be seen on the main road, which already struggles to cope with traffic at peak times or when motorway traffic is routed through the town.

I cannot imagine what it will be like for people in the immediate vicinity of the store and petrol station with congestion, increased traffic flow, increased activity and noise late at night. They have every right to feel betrayed by their councillors.

The proposed site for this store would be an ideal location for a recreational area for the community of Larkhall.

Given that it lies on the edge of Morgan Glen, close to housing, schools and the leisure centre, I feel could be developed into playing fields, playgrounds, a proper running track for the local athletic clubs, with cycle paths and walkways.

This is all the more relevant since we are trying to encourage children and adults to be more active and yet we’re on the verge of losing this valuable space to Asda.

It makes me wonder exactly what the town planners have ‘planned’ for Larkhall, i.e. a pedestrian precinct, one-way system and the main road leading straight into Asda car park.

I just wonder who our council officials are serving by their lack of thought and vision. Or is it too hard just to say no to Asda?

J. Craig, Larkhall.