PROPOSALS to build a Morrisons superstore on the site of Abergavenny’s Cattle Market received a lukewarm reception yesterday, with residents and traders warning that although the chain would be welcomed in the town, the supermarket giant must respect its unique character.
The Argus revealed yesterday that Morrisons had been selected by Monmouthshire County Council as the successful bidder for the controversial site, after a multimillion pound deal with developer Henry Boot Ltd and Morrisons supermarket rival Asda fell through last year.
The proposals will now have to be approved by the council's planning committee.
Chairman of Abergavenny Development Forum David Haswell said that overall, the choice of Morrisons was good news for the town as the supermarket would not present a “predatory threat” to established traders, and the company had a positive reputation for fresh food at affordable prices.
This was echoed by the president of Abergavenny Chamber of Trade Susi Cernoch, who said that out of the four largest supermarket chains, Morrisons was the most likely to ensure the “future prosperity of our high street”.
But Mr Haswell said he was concerned that because most Morrisons stores are built on the edge or out of town, the company may not have had much experience designing a store to suit a town centre conservation area.
“Without prejudging the Morrisons proposals we must hope that, unlike Henry Boot and Asda, they come to Abergavenny in a spirit of cooperation prepared to show flexibility and imagination,” he said.
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