In my view, the slant they put on the recent retail developments and proposals for our town was nothing short of disgraceful. They refer to the current supermarket tally which they say is simply to demolish three supermarkets and construct two new ones, and another on the cattle market to be decided upon. I would like to bring to their attention to the following facts.

RETAIL FLOORSPACE

Existing supermarket
- gross floorspace
square metres
Tesco 2,601 square metres*
Kwik Save 1,300 square metres*
Co Op 524 square metres**
TOTAL 4,425 square metres

Proposed supermarket
- gross floorspace
square metres
Tesco 4,384 square metres*
Aldi 1,321 square metres*
Cattle market 4,600 square
metres*
TOTAL 10,305 square metres

The gross floorspace per square metre that the town will lose with the demolition of the old Kwik Save, Tesco and Co-Op is 4,425.
We will, however, with the erection of the new Tesco, the Aldi and the potential supermarket at the cattle market, gain 10,305 gross square metres. This is an increase of 5,880 gross square metres.
Retail studies commissioned by the East Riding of Yorkshire Council (England & Lyle and Roger Tym & Partners) have all concluded that the town cannot sustain this increase in supermarket provision and that the vitality and viability of the town centre would be at risk.

* Figures derived from the ERYC Planning Committee reports to the Strategic Planning Committee of December 6 2007.

** Figure derived from Eatonfield Holdings Retail and Planning Report (p29) October 2007.

So, therefore we have facing the town an increase in retail floorspace of 133 per cent.

The ERYC are choosing to ignore the findings of their own survey carried out in early 2007 by England & Lyle which identified we need an extra 749 square metres of food retail space up until the year 2016.
Another recent town centre survey of which the results can be found on www.driffieldcattlemarket.co.uk concluded that 90 per cent of the people do not want a supermarket on the cattle market.
Could they please tell me once and for all why all this information is being ignored, and why they seem determined for everyone of these applications to go through.

There are several developers who I know to be interested in the cattle market site with schemes that would be totally beneficial to the community, ie housing, community centre, museum, bowling alley etc.
Have the councillors also considered the scenario whereby the site is granted permission for a supermarket but because Tesco has permission now to extend their George Street site no other major operator would be interested in coming to Driffield. Therefore, the site could stay an eyesore for years to come.

I am led to believe that Morrisons, Asda, Sainsburys and Waitrose have all said that they would not want to come to Driffield if Tesco got their permission, which as we now know they have.
We are close to ruining the town altogether if the ERYC get their way.

WE HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH SUPERMARKETS.

Andrew Rafter, of Middle Street South, Driffield, writes by email andy@freshisbest.co.uk