Sainsbury's consultation "a sham" says Liz

10.15.07am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 27th Jul 2009

Prospective MP Liz Leffman has visited the public consultation for the proposed Sainsbury's superstore in Bishops Waltham. She says the consultation is "a sham" because people are not being given the facts about the amount of traffic the new store will generate in villages across the area.

Sainsbury's representatives at the consultation admitted that the supermarket could draw up to 35,000 cars per week into the village, and that the supermarket will be serviced by 8 lorries a day, which will come from Basingstoke, or from one of the other stores in the area such as Fareham, Alton or Eastleigh.

"What shocks me is that people are not being given the facts" said Liz "Bishops Waltham is miles away from a motorway, unlike Sainsbury's other superstores in the area. All the roads run through small villages. If lorries come from the M3 they will have to come through Twyford, Colden Common and Upham. If they come from Fareham they will have to come through Wickham and Waltham Chase, and if they come from Eastleigh then they will probably come through Curdridge. Lorries coming from the Alton store will have to travel through villages on the A32, including West Meon, Warnford and Corhampton"

Liz and MP Mark Oaten have met with the local action group to review the proposals. They are concerned that the character and vitality of the village will be seriously damaged if a superstore opens, and that local shops, including the fishmonger, butcher and grocer, could be forced to close.

"It's hard to see how this store will benefit Bishops Waltham" said Liz "The site is across a main road from the village centre, and will not be integrated into the town, so people are unlikely to make a trip to the high street after doing their supermarket shop."

Sainsbury's has seven stores within 10 miles of Bishops Waltham