For neighbours living on Norwood Road in Southport, the news of a new Sainsbury's superstore opening at the end of their street should bring with it a measure of joy.
With the road roughly a mile and a half from the town centre, the 50,000 sqft store and petrol station should be a welcome addition to the area. However, plans for the new Sainsbury's Meols Cop Retail Park were met with strong opposition and took seven years to come to fruition with neighbours calling it a "pointless" venture that will bring about "the death of the town".
Sainsbury's initially received planning permission to demolish the building and build a 60,000 sqft store and petrol station in 2017 only being approved after a five-day public inquiry which was called for by then Southport MP John Pugh.
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Work on the Sainsbury's started last month and concern has grown about the amount of traffic on the already busy road and the effect on the economy of the town centre.
Speaking to the ECHO, Linda, who lives on Norwood Road said: "It is pointless. There is a Tesco across the road and a Sainsbury's in the town centre. The traffic on this road is bad enough as it is, you can't get in or out this will ruin it for good.
"They have pulled the whole thing down and the new building is massive there is no need for it. The town is being killed off and this is just another part of it."
The Sainsbury's store and petrol station will be yards from an Aldi, Home Bargains and Tesco Extra on Meols Cop retail park and the approval of the application came with non-negotiable conditions. The main being that Sainsbury's is not permitted to close its store on St. George's Place in Southport town centre for at least four years after the Meols Cop store opens.
However, Cllr. Pugh said that the "town centre can’t take the hit" and Southport's fame "rests on things like the beauty and vitality of Lord St" and not on a "very big supermarket and poor roadside air quality."
Erica who has lived on Norwood Road for 12 years said: "It is a daft idea, this road is murder and there is always work being done on the road. There is too much traffic, it is a nightmare. We have a Sainsbury's in town so there is no need for another.
"The town is dying and it is just going to get worse I don't think anyone cares. Everyone along this road will use the new Sainsbury's even if we don't agree with it and things will just get worse."
A spokesperson for Sainsbury’s said: “We can confirm our landlord has now started work to build what will become our new store in Southport’s Meols Cop Retail Park. We look forward to getting the keys to the premises next year and we’ll keep the local community updated on our plans.”
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