Developers on collision course

7:11pm Thursday 24th April 2008

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A DEVELOPMENT company wanting to build a Sainsbury's supermarket in Trowbridge has accused another developer of using a blocking move'.

Barton Finch has teamed up with Sainsbury's to build a supermarket on the former Ushers bottling plant in Conigre while competitor Parkridge has struck a deal to build a Waitrose store on the former Peter Black factory site in Cradle Bridge.

It has emerged only one of the projects can go ahead according to an independent report commissioned by West Wiltshire District Council into the viability of the two schemes.

The Sainsbury's plans were due to be considered in isolation by West Wiltshire District Council's planning authority on Thursday.

Parkridge, whose Waitrose plan was not going to be considered until a later date, requested that the two be looked at simultaneously.

Now both have been deferred until May while the planning officers seek a legal opinion on the matter.

Speaking after the meeting Graham Payne, leader of the council, said: "It is regrettable that a developer is seeking to checkmate another developer in respect of the Brewery site application.

"I would have preferred to see the next piece of the jigsaw puzzle of the development of Trowbridge put in place. Instead we have stalled again."

Barton Finch, the developers behind the Sainsbury's proposal said this week that they remained on target to deliver their scheme despite the deferral caused by "a late blocking move by Parkridge who are seeking to develop the Peter Black site at the southern end of Trowbridge."

Barton Finch director, Robin Barton, said: "Having spent two years working on this scheme with the council, perhaps we can wait three weeks for the next planning committee, but the long suffering people of Trowbridge deserve better."

In response, Parkridge said: "We're certainly not using spoiling tactics. We feel that it is vitally important that the merits of both schemes are considered at the same time.

"We obviously feel there are very strong arguments for our plans for the Peter Black site, which would provide Trowbridge with a vibrant, flagship mixed use scheme and could also kick-start the future development of the former Tesco site."