Members of the Walton Felixstowe Community First action group at Felixstowe. L-R Mary Wyatt, Roy Gray, David Matson, Carol Florey, Mick Florey, Stephen Wyatt, Joel Lapenna

Felixstowe: Tesco to give community a little extra help with new sports hall

BY RICHARD CORNWELL, Felixstowe editor, Felixstowe editor Friday, October 19, 2012
11:16 AM

CAMPAIGNERS today vowed to keep up their fight against a Tesco superstore – despite the scheme promoters promising to build a new community and sports hall.

More details have been revealed of the proposals for the 30-acre site off Walton High Street, Felixstowe, with the project set to be submitted to planners next month.

The Walton Green Partnership says as well the community and sports hall, the project will include new allotments, a café, plus 15 business units and three “live-work” units and the 30,000sq ft Tesco supermarket.

Designers are just perfecting the layout of the traffic entrance into the site.

But the proposed community facilities have not persuaded campaigners to back the proposal.

Mary Wyatt, of the Walton Felixstowe Community First action group, said: “Our view is still firmly that Felixstowe does not need an out of town store and this development will threaten one of our existing supermarkets and have a huge impact on the town centre.

“It is too big – even the council’s own documents say that Felixstowe does not need that much supermarket space.

“People are very concerned at how this would affect Hamilton Road and adding items like a community/sports facility does not alter our view.”

Tim Collins, a partner in Bidwells, agents for landowners Trinity College, said the café, business units, allotments, supermarket and community facilities would create “a vibrant district centre”.

The hall would be suitable for a wide range of community events plus dance and sports such as judo or similar.

The “live-work” units would provide space for people to live above their businesses.

“We have carried out a robust 18-month public consultation over these proposals and have reacted and made changes based on the responses we have had from residents,” he said.

“The development will bring people to Walton High Street and the design aims to ensure there are knock-on benefits for local shops with pedestrian access onto the main street. We have met with the local retailers and half of them are keen on the idea and we think the scheme will be good news for Walton.”

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5 comments

If this project goes ahead (as I suspect it will even on a smaller scale) then the interesting factor will be how many will start using it. I recall a similar objection with the Spar shop on High Road West, and though initially opposed most of the shops have since changed their use and I am grateful sometimes for its long opening hours.

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DALINE

Wednesday, October 24, 2012
We don't need another supermarket in Felixstowe and it won't bring more business in to town but take it out . Day visitors and holiday makers won't come to our town because we have a supermarket they would come because we have a nice beach and town with a good selection of shops which we could loose more of if a new tesco come and take business away We also don't need another sport hall as we already have several and church halls that are all regular used. Tescos seem to be just trying to buy there way into town . No matter what the public want. They go on about the amount of jobs it will bring how many will it take away and most of the jobs they say that it will creat they forget to say are just part-time.

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Jacqueline Norlem

Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Here we go again, Walton and Trimley already have numerous halls for public use, more than enough pubs in Walton and the Trimley's. Brackenbury is a great sports hall that isn't used to it's full capacity.What we don@t need is more traffic in Walton And the Trimlies. Disabled people find it difficult to cross the road at present. The increase in traffic would make it hazardous for the disabled to cross the road.

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barry levine

Friday, October 19, 2012
These developers just don’t get it do they. 1) Felixstowe does not need another sports hall, especially opposite one that will be available for public hire at the Academy school opposite. 2) They say ‘People will be able to walk to Walton high Street’. Yes people could but at about 400 meters to the first shops will people both I don’t think they would 3) 2 above also discounts they it will attract people to Walton high street as it will attract people past it. If the a professional developer is going to make claims and arguments you would have thought they would do some research.

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A Smith

Friday, October 19, 2012
I'm all for it, sounds great....hopefully it will help some of the young unemployed.

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preep

Friday, October 19, 2012