Last Updated: 17 Oct 08Supporting Sustainable Development

Retail Issues

Experience from around the country has shown that local independent traders always suffer as a result of large new developments like the one proposed by Centros Miller. The profits of local traders tend to stay within the local economy but the Castle View shopping centre will be dominated by chain stores and other outlets whose only contribution to the local economy is minimum wage jobs.

Council head of planning Andrew Dobson has marginalised the expensive and comprehensive White Young Green Retail Survey which the Council commissioned and was published in 2006 and relegated its status to that of a background document. In his indiscriminate championing of Centros Miller's proposals, Mr Dobson sent a 'letter of comfort' in March 2006, to Centros Miller's planning consultant, assuring him in essence that the conclusions of the report would not interfere with Centros Miller's 'retail growth options'. The Centros masterplan proposes a retail capacity far in excess of that recommended by the White Young Green report resulting in greater potential profits for Centros Miller and a greater threat to local retailers.

We find it unacceptable that the profit motivated proposals of a multinational company operating out of the British Virgin Islands should 'inform the Local Development Framework' of our city. The conflict of interest between Centros Miller's motivation (profit) and what Lancaster needs (a sustainable development) is too obvious to ignore. We have already seen how Centros Miller virtually blackmailed the Council into voting for the secretive planning delivery agreement and we can expect similar moves in respect of our local development strategy.

Links

  • 16 Dec 2002 - Ghost Town Britain: The threat from economic globalisation to livelihoods, liberty and local economic freedom. Throughout Britain, local economies are being killed by various economic and political forces, with enormous human, social and environmental consequences. Writing for the New Economics Foundation, the authors ask 'Can they be brought back to life?'
  • 15 Dec 2003 - Ghost Town Britain II: Death on the High St updates the NEF's previous report.
  • 6 June 2005 - Clone Town Britain - This excellent 44 page survey from the NEF covers many towns throughout the UK which have been transformed into clone towns by developments which disregarded the opinions of local communities and traders. Pages 17/18 report on Centros Miller and their cattle market development in Bury St Edmunds and shows an artists impression of part of it which looks remarkably similar (some have said identical) to a view of the shopping precinct which Centros Miller presented to the public in Lancaster as part of their public 'consultation'. If you don't have time to read the full report you can read the Clone Town Britain summary.
  • Feb 2006 - White Young Green Retail Survey - This Lancaster retail survey is a very detailed 100 odd page report by an independent company called White Young Green Planning commisioned by Lancaster City Council on present and future retail needs for Lancaster, Morecambe, Carnforth and outlying areas. In support of Centros Miller's proposals, chief planning officer Andrew Dobson has claimed that this costly survey is 'only a background document to inform the Local Development Framework'.
  • 6 Jun 2006 - Virtual Lancaster article - Development Threatens Local Business
  • 6 Oct 2006 - High Street Retail in decline, says The Guardian. Rising consumer debt poses a threat to the success of the Centros shopping centre.
  • 6 March 2007 - Back to square one on tackling supermarket dominance is the up to date thinking by New Economics Foundation on the power of the supermarkets, the closing of post offices and other issues.
  • 25 Sept 2006 - Traders in the Monmouthshire town of Caldicot are setting up a virtual high street to fight supermarket competition. Find out how in Town high street shops go online on the BBC website.
  • 15 Oct 2006 - Independent traders in Maidstone suffered a 50% loss in trade following the completion of Centros Millers massive retail led Fremlin Walk development in March 2005. Their plight is outlined in 'Forgotten' traders sign petition from the BBC. Lancasters independent traders have been slow to realise just how their businesses will suffer if the Centros Miller development goes ahead.
  • 10 Jan 2007 - The malling of our cities is an intelligent Times article covering York, Bury St Edmunds and other cities, but uses Plymouth as its prime example. There are many parallels with Lancaster and what we can look forward to should the Centros development go ahead. Well worth a read.
  • Tescopoly - A new book about Tescos predatory practices