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September
5, 2005
'Use
it or lose it' warning to Burnham High Street shoppers
Worried
councillors have issued a blunt message to shoppers in Burnham
regarding the town's High Street - 'Use it or lose it'.
 The
warning came during a debate this week regarding the government's
controversial decision to give Sanders Garden World the go-ahead
to double the size of its store near Brent Knoll.
The
council is unhappy with the decision, which it fears could lead
to many shoppers and visitors shunning Burnham's town centre shops.
Former
Mayor Cllr Louise Parkin said: "We need 100 per cent support
from local people for Burnham's town centre. This is a case of
'Use it or lose it'."
And
Cllr Poole added: "Don't let out town die and become a ghost
town."
In
proposing a motion to encourage Sedgemoor District Council's enforcement
officers to ensure there is fair competition among all traders
throughout the Burnham area, he said: "Sanders says they'll
be creating 100 jobs from this expansion, but business people
here in Burnham say that's no consolation because firms will close
and the livelihoods of those who have been here for generations
will be lost."
Cllr
Parkin also pointed to a steep decline in the number of coach
visitors in the town since Garden World opened as evidence that
the expansion of the store could further hurt Burnham's town centre
traders.
 "Signs
promoting free parking for coaches have just not worked,"
she said. "Since Sanders opened its current site, the number
of coaches in Burnham has dropped off. They just don't come into
the town after visiting Sanders."
Councillors
also expressed concerns about the vagueness of what products will
be able to be sold at the expanded Garden World store.
In
one part of the Secretary Of State's report that gave the green
light to the expansion plan, it was stated that Sanders will be
able to sell "outdoor clothes."
Cllr
Neville Jones called for clarification on what this means: "They
could use this as a carte blanche to sell a huge range of items
that are already on sale in the town."
Cllr
Cooper vowed that the council would be "seeking answers"
if Sanders is allowed to stray from selling more than just those
products outlined in the report.
He
also appealed to residents across Burnham to support town centre
shops, adding: "It's often cheaper in town."
RELATED
LINKS:
Sanders Garden World expansion
gets the green light
Town Council statement
on Garden World go-ahead
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