Safe Speed Forums

The local paper reported last week on the council planning committee's view of a proposed supermarket development on an old bus station site in a built-up shopping area of Southampton (not out of town). One comment was that they were disturbed at the amount of car parking. The developer had proposed approaching 400 spaces but it was said that the proposal would only be given the go ahead if this was reduced to around 200 spaces.

Do I need to say any more?

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Malcolm W.
The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not represent the views of Safespeed.

Where I live we have Asda and Morrison (was Safeway). Morrison are slightly out of the centre of town and small (compared to most super markets) but has free parking. Asda is in the town centre and are in the process of building a new super store which will use some of the existing carpark and reduce parking (parking for Asda is not free).

Morrison’s wanted to move closer to the town centre and build a bigger store with parking facilities. The council gave them planning permission to build a new store with parking on an existing school playing field, they even altered the road to take account of a new junction. When Asda realised that Morrison’s where also providing free parking they objected knowing they would loose custom, also the council put two and two together and realised they would loose parking revenue. The council have now back turned on planning permission for Morrison (who are now appealing).

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Useless laws weaken necessary laws.

Is there a desperate need for a new supermarket in Southampton? I don't know, I don't live in Southampton. Where I live there is a choice of several supermarkets(4 large ones and about 5 more medium size ones) and I can honestly say I've never had a problem trying to park, even at peak times. Most of the time car parks are barely 1/2 full if that.

If you regularly struggle to find a parking spot at Southamptons supermarkets and a new one is badly needed then fair enough its a very valid point, if not, and Southampton has already adequate supermarket provisions then does it really matter that this development has less parking then the developers want?

Winchester is becoming less and less car friendly all the time. I live 4 miles north of Winchester (should be under 10 minutes in the car) and now have these shopping options:
1) 20 minute journey due to bus friendly traffic lights followed by a game of hunt the parking space.
2) 35 minute bus journey.
3) 25 minute journey along car friendly roads to a huge car park in Basingstoke.

But there's already far too much shopping going on. It's become a leisure activity! My advice - buy a dog, and take it for a walk instead of going shopping, but remember to scoop the poop!

If you need food, order it online (recycling the bags, of course), or get a veggie-pack delivered!

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I stole this .sig

And let the poor delivery driver worry about getting through the godawful mess they've made of the middle of Winchester ("Which way should we have the traffic flow in Parchment St. this week councillor?"), then try and offload your shopping without being ticketed.

Or, of course, 4) Buy a bicycle and some panniers, enjoy a 15 minute ride into Winchester, do your shopping, ride home again, enjoy ineffable feelings of smugness for having avoided the traffic and got a bit fitter.

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We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the kerb.