ASDA and politician hopeful of progress

The development will generate £10m a year in salaries and a £6m net boon to the Exchequer through reduced benefits claims and increased tax contributions whilst preventing £8m of shoppers’ money seeping to other ASDA stores in the North West each year.

Mr Hay believes a positive planning decision in favour of the supermarket giant’s plans for the Waterside is achievable this side of Christmas or at the latest early in the New Year.

He told the Sentinel he has been working with ASDA and the Planning Service to help secure the massive investment and it’s possible a new store at the current Homebase unit at Crescent Link Retail Park could open as early as 2012.

“This is an opportunity to bring ASDA to the city for the first time,” Mr Hay told the paper. “It’s a significant investment not only for the Waterside but for the entire city.”

“I’m very, very hopeful we can get a positive decision on this, which represents an investment of £25/£30m by ASDA and will create over 300 jobs in the Waterside.”

The local MLA said the opening of a new ASDA store in Londonderry made sense given the exodus of thousands of local shoppers to its retail outlets in Strabane and Coleraine every weekend.

“This will keep money in the local economy,” said Mr Hay. “The city is haemorrhaging shoppers who are leaving to go to other stores in the North West and this will stop that and keep investment and jobs in the Waterside.”

He forecast the development would deliver over £10 million pounds in salaries every year, money, much of which will then be spent in the local economy.

“On top of that the independent experts who prepared the economic study estimate that the scheme will deliver over £6million of benefits to the Government budget through taxes and savings to benefit payments every year.

“What’s important about the ASDA is that it will bring badly needed new competition to food shopping sector in the city – there isn’t enough competition at the moment and everyone will benefit from some more pressure to keep prices as low as possible - believe it or not folk from the city are currently spending over £8million a year in the ASDA Stores in Coleraine and Strabane - money and jobs that we could now bring back to Londonderry.

“So, we mustn’t lose this , it’s just the boost we need and it will send out all the best messages about the city in the run up to the UK City of Culture celebrations – everyone needs to get behind this opportunity now and make sure we don’t lose it.”

ASDA’S Senior Property Communications Philip Bartram shared Mr Hay’s optimism and said ASDA is continuing to work with the Planning Service to progress its plans and is hopeful of a decision in the coming months.

“We are working hard to bring the first ASDA store to shoppers in Derry,” he said. “For too long, customers have had to travel outside of Derry to visit an ASDA store and this is something that we are determined to change.”

He said local support for a new ASDA outlet is strong. This was marked last year when up to 96 per cent of local respondents to a consultation survey on the development said they would support it.

“Since we submitted our application for a new store at Crescent Link, we have received fantastic backing from the local community and from local representatives.

“We are continuing to work closely with the Planning Service and expect a decision on our plans in the coming months,” he commented.

ASDA has applied for planning permission to convert a unit currently occupied by Homebase into a full ASDA food store. Homebase will move to a smaller unit adjacent to the new supermarket.

The retailer’s plans include a 40,000sq ft sales area store and 990 car parking spaces (including a new underground car park).

The development is expected to provide up to 350 new full and part time jobs for local people, as well as creating and securing many more jobs in the local supply chain.

Mr Bartram urged all those that want to see an ASDA store in Londonderry, to contact their local representative or visit ASDA’s website www.asdacrescentlink.com/howyoucanhelp.php for further information.

Mr Hay said he has also been really impressed by the feedback from the local community and the active support they have given to the development opportunities currently under consideration for the Waterside area.

“Top of my list is the proposal for the ASDA store at the Crescent Link Retail Park which I believe the Planners are close to reaching a decision on.

“The economic benefits which this will deliver for the community are immense and we all need to make sure they are delivered. “There’s twice as many people in the city claiming unemployment benefit now as there were 3 years ago - we can’t sustain that, we need opportunities and we mustn’t lose them,” he said.