M&S 'should make city centre pledge' to win £40m retail park store
MARKS & Spencer could be forced to retain a city centre presence as a condition of opening a new out-of-town store.
The retail giant is looking to create up to 350 jobs by opening a £40 million store, selling food, clothing and homeware, at Wolstanton Retail Park.
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VISION: How M&S might look at Wolstanton Retail Park.
But planners at Stoke-on-Trent City Council fear the 140,000 sq ft development could harm trade in Hanley, where M&S already has an outlet.
They want the company to sign a legal agreement requiring it to keep a store in the city centre for at least five years after the launch of its Wolstanton branch.
The city council's development management committee is expected to formally object to the scheme unless M&S agrees to such a condition.
Newcastle Borough Council will make the final decision on whether to permit the M&S development at Wolstanton.
Councillor Adrian Knapper, right, cabinet member for transport and planning at the city council, said: "Our proposed objection to the Marks & Spencer's store is conditional, as we only wish to protect the existing amount of trade coming into our own city centre.
"As an out of town development, it has the potential to significantly impact on stores within the city centre.
"We are though, in active discussion with Newcastle Borough Council and Marks & Spencer, to find a way forward."
M&S is planning to replace its Upper Market Square store with a 100,000 sq ft outlet in the City Sentral shopping centre, due to be completed in 2015.
The proposed legal agreement would mean any replacement would have to be at least 47,000 sq ft – the size of the current store.
A spokesman for M&S said: "We can confirm that discussions are on-going with Newcastle and Stoke-on-Trent planning officers in relation to our Wolstanton planning application."
Robin Studd, cabinet member for regeneration and planning at the borough council, said he understood the city council's position.
He said: "I think that it is fair enough for the city council to ask for a condition such as this.
"Both the borough council and the city council have to keep an eye on what's happening on the other side. We should probably talk to each other about things like this more often.
"But I do not think they have much to be worried about in this case. In our talks with M&S they have said they will be staying in the city centre.
"I would have loved it if M&S opened a store in Newcastle town centre. But they say the A500 is key to their plans."
McLagan Investments, which owns Wolstanton Retail Park, intends to demolish several units and a redundant methane pumping station to make room for the new M&S and 900 parking spaces.
If approved by the borough council, the store could be open by spring 2014.
Comment: Page 10
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by E_D_Wivens
Tuesday, January 24 2012, 8:28PM
“Thank you Spasser.
"how do you expect the 40% of local residents without a car to actually get there? Oh, you don't of course.The apartheid system of the have nots going to Poundstretcher in town whilst respectable people drive to M&S."
I hadn't thought of that. Sounds like a wonderful idea to me!”
by Spasser
Monday, January 23 2012, 12:11AM
“The sort of people posting on here are why most town centres in the UK are failing. Selfish, self-interest; as long as they can park their car for free by the front door of the shop. No local pride to want to see their town centres improve. You can park for free in most town centres by parking at Tesco, Sainsburys etc for three hours; enough for most people. So, when all our retail is out of town, how do you expect the 40% of local residents without a car to actually get there? Oh, you don't of course.The apartheid system of the have nots going to Poundstretcher in town whilst respectable people drive to M&S. And its all the council's fault! Pathetic.”
by E_D_Wivens
Sunday, January 22 2012, 7:24PM
“Actually for once I see the council's point. I was listening to a fascinating Radio 4 programme the other day where exactly this topic was being discussed, how to promote retail growth on the high street. Stores such as M&S or John Lewis act as retail generation hubs and where they exist, other more specialist shops can co-exist alongside them and benefit from the passing trade; when they cease to be present, that passing trade declines rapidly and those smaller shops struggle to survive, especially in the current climate.
Personally an M&S on Wolstanton retail park would be far more useful for Mrs Wivens and myself, as we rarely go into Hanley because of the crowds, chavs, and issues with parking etc. and Wolstanton is much easier for us to get to. But I can understand why the council would seek to protect Hanley as the retail centre for the area.
However one thing has often struck me as odd, that the M&S has always been in Hanley and not Newcastle, where one would think it would have been more at home. I know plenty of people for whom the Hanley M&S is the only reason that they bother to go there at all.”
by simonp820
Saturday, January 21 2012, 8:49PM
“What the hell?! M&S are being blackmailed by the Council?! We should be actively encouraging them to open up new stores not penalising them for doing so.”
by ElRealistico
Saturday, January 21 2012, 5:49AM
“Yet more evidence, if any is needed, of the massive, egregious wast of resources caused by small authorities all trying to be top dog.
Yet again, the ordinary man loses out to the egos of small minded local authorities.
When will they learn that one large well run authority is MUCH cheaper to run than several competing dwarfs. They obviously do not want to serve the interests of N. Staffs.”
by Exserviceman
Friday, January 20 2012, 9:35AM
“Dictators come in all forms don't they? How can public servants who've never run so much as a car boot stall tell a multi national company how to run their business?”
by pattsey
Thursday, January 19 2012, 6:38PM
“The clue councillors is '900' parking spaces. Stoke on Trent have for so many years been trying wholeheartedly to ban the car from town centres. Where has it got us? Closed down businesses and boarded up shops. Just take a look at Burslem.
One day they will reaslise that car drivers bring money into towns.”
by ghosts
Thursday, January 19 2012, 6:24PM
“It will be a far better service to the public by having the store on the retail park....won't have to pay the parking charges in Hanley...or walk through the litter strewn streets.... or be pestered by the charity people....hope they put a decent bus service on though for people without cars...Hanley has become a place to visit if you have no other choice...”
by LIDASTREES
Thursday, January 19 2012, 4:46PM
“Will the last company to leave Stoke please turn the gas lights off.”
by GiveMeHope
Thursday, January 19 2012, 3:36PM
“Stoke council are a joke, take a look at Stoke and see what a good job they have done”