'Supermarket is to blame for crossing wait' (From Worcester News)

'Supermarket is to blame for crossing wait'

11:00pm Wednesday 12th September 2012 in News By Elizabeth Sweetman, @lizsweetmanWN #worcsnews

A WORCESTER councillor has hit out at a supermarket claiming it is preventing people from getting a pedestrian crossing at an accident blackspot because of delays over a planning application.

Sainsbury’s in Windermere Drive, Blackpole, successfully applied for planning permission in 2007 to move onto a site occupied by Archdales Football Club, which would effectively swap places with the supermarket by moving in the opposite direction.

As part of the application, which is valid until 2015, Sainsbury’s is obliged to install a crossing on the road but does not have to fulfil the requirement until it implements the planning permission.

Worcester city councillor Alan Amos, who represents Warndon and Gorse Hill, said that if Sainsbury’s does not “come clean” about its plans, it is preventing people from getting a crossing.

The busy road is used by people living in the housing estate opposite Sainsbury’s and students of Regency High School, and Coun Amos said he has received letters from residents and the school.

As we reported previously, in 2006, a woman died after being hit by a car near Sainsbury’s.

Coun Amos said he is planning to write to Sainsbury’s and is willing to put up some of his councillor’s budget to pay for the crossing, but said the supermarket needs to uphold its end of the bargain.Coun Amos said: “I’m not saying anything against Sainsbury’s – it’s a good store, I use it myself.

“People want it to stay there, they want it to expand.

“But it’s an extremely dangerous road, there’s no alternative. I don’t need to make a case for a crossing.

“It was a priority then and is still a priority now. It’s pointless waiting any longer, we’ve waited five years.”

Sainsbury’s regional development executive Andrew Sanderson said: “We are not in a position to implement the planning permission for the replacement store at Archdales Football Club site at this moment.

“However, we are committed to improving our customers’ shopping experience in Worcester.”