Twickenham Green Sainsbury's causes concern (From Richmond and Twickenham Times)

Twickenham Green Sainsbury's causes concern

7:00am Saturday 12th January 2013 in News By Rachel Bishop

A proposed Sainsbury’s next to Twickenham Green has met with opposition from neighbours and businesses.

An application from Turley Associates was submitted to Richmond Council on December 11, and a decision is due by February 5.

Fiona Wilson, of The Green, objected to the proposal online, in which she said: “The green is a place where children, families and individuals come, exercise and relax - they do not come here to do their weekly shop.

“The building of this store will change the very essence of one of the most beautiful green spaces in south-west London.”

Owners of nearby businesses also felt the supermarket would deter customers from their stores, which they had already seen happen with Tesco.

Manager of Meet and Deet, in Hampton Road, Dee Patel, whose store is just off the green, was worried the presence of a Sainsbury’s would affect business in the summer.

He said: “In the summer I think it will be a bit annoying as there are a lot of fairs on the green and people usually come here to buy their ice creams, or beer. They will just go to Sainsbury’s now if it’s there.

“We are quite lucky because we are just off the green, so in that respect we don’t think it will affect us normally because a lot of our customers are within the local vicinity.”

However, he said the main problem for business lay with the shops between Sainsbury’s and Tesco Express, Heath Road.

“They already have to compete with Tesco Express and have been selling at low prices and now they’re thinking we have to compete with another big store. Some of these businesses have been serving the community for 30 or 40 years.”

The site for the proposed Sainsbury’s is 32-38, The Green, Twickenham. The application number is 12/3874/ADV and can be found at richmond.gov.uk.