Shop owners plead for Derbyshire convenience store plans to be shelved

Numerous local business owners spoke against the application to convert the former Plug and Feathers, on the Hill, Glapwell, into a convenience store at a meeting of Bolsover District Council’s Planning Committee.

Talaiyasingam Sivalingam has run Vale Stores, in Bramley Vale, for nine years and had gathered a petition with 250 signatures opposing the proposal.

He said: “Suddenly I hear this business is coming in – I’m in so much debt at the moment.”

Mr Sivalingam explained that four years ago he invested several thousands of pounds in his family-run shop, and has recently installed a cash machine following the requests of customers, at a cost of £7,500.

He said he felt he was a part of a friendly community, which had shown support for him by signing his petition.

Mr Sivalingam said the new shop would take the customer base that he had built ‘day-by-day’ away, asking: “How do I pay my bank loans?”

P. Singh, whose family also owns a shop nearby, raised concerns over the increased traffic the convenience store would create.

“There’s a school nearby,” he said.

“There have already been two deaths, there was another death that happened about two years ago – that was in Glapwell.”

Mr Singh continued: “Other than the convenience store, which is already in Bramley Vale, there is already one in Glapwell.

“They’ve been trading for many years, through Covid, open seven days a week.

“They’re all family businesses.”

He said if these businesses were affected it would have a knock-on effect for their suppliers, as well as the local community.

Mr Singh suggested that the site could be used for something else that would be more useful to the community, rather than another shop.

Councillor Duncan McGregor commented that the fact that there were other convenience stores within the vicinity of the application was not a planning consideration, neither was any detrimental effect to existing businesses as a result of the application.

He also pointed out that Derbyshire County Council, as the highways authority, had raised no concerns about traffic that would result from it.

In response to the suggestion that the site could be used in a better way, Coun McGregor said: “We’re not here to chose better options, that’s for the applicant to decide what they want to do.”

Members approved the application unanimously.

https://www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk/news/environment/council-approves-400-homes-near-chesterfield-despite-concerns-3581468