Yesterdays Pont and Cas Express carried another article about the negative impact an 'out of town' retail development on WR would have on the town centre shops.
It seems to me the definition of 'out of town' must be dependant upon the size of town (and/or it's resident's spacial awareness/mobility) because everyday thousands of people walk a hell of a lot further around Leeds than the distance between say Cas library and the ground. Also the number of people who park at/around the ground on matchdays as opposed to walking from the town centre or further afield must be a very small minority.
I accept that the route along WR may not be sufficiently attractive to encourage a stroll up/down it but for the most part it is a waterfront so not beyond major improvement. Furthermore, looking at a significant number of locals Opus may wish to support their PP bid by arguing the health benefits of the exercise involved in getting to the store(s).
Seriously though I am less concerned that WR will lose out to another site (the traffic implications elsewhere could be even greater) than that the development just won't happen at all because of commercial opposition.

Local shop owners will always make a big noise about any development that they perceive as a threat, particularly in this financial climate. I lived in Sheffield when Meadowhall was built and the indigenous shopkeepers were virtually demonstrating in the streets to halt progress on that particular circle of hell. As we all know, it didn't make one iota of difference in the end, although it probably slowed things down.

Still, I feel your pain; we went through a similar process with NM last year and it does seem that the breadth and scope of objections are what saw it end up at PI.

On a much scaled down version, businesses at Busy Corner on Barnsley Road are up in arms over the way Tesco has slipped under the planning radar and is busy converting the Foresters pub into a Tesco Express. So that'll be goodbye to the bakery, the grocers, the off-license and many other local shops.

I just cannot understand why any of the major retailers would want to build a high quality brand new supermarket on a dead end road like WR. It basically goes no where and would get absolutely no passing trade whatsoever. Like any major retailer, supermarkets work on footfall (ie. number of people coming through the entrance doors) and I can't see how it would work.

Aren't Opus supposed to be making the full planning application during October, last day of the month on Monday. Personally I just can't see it getting of the ground at all.

WR takes you to Airdale, have you ever been out of Chequerfield??

So it sits right inbetween Cas and Airdale and is easier to get to than Asda, sorry what was your point again??

Didn't the press release at the the end of August/beginning of September say two to three months?

Re Wheldon Road - as Binks said.

Supermarkets of the size proposed don't have much, if any, reliance on "passing trade".

I did wonder myself about the concept of 'footfall' - I used to walk to Hillards in Wakey with me mam, but that was in 1978!

A 2 to 3 month delay from the end of August.

Firstly, I don't live in Chequerfield and I would have thought that the inhabitants of Airedale and Fryston would look much further than the local Aldi or Lidl.

Eh?

So they will drive into Cas to Aldi or Normy to Lidl But not down Fryston rd onto WR for Tesco ?? Odd little world you live in ??

That article is so flawed. The town is already dead so it will have zero impact on people visiting Castleford for Castleford town centre. Instead, it is likely to drive more people into the town from the likes of Kippax, Lock Lane, Fairburn etc.

The developers of the Aire Street site which has OPP have just put in an application to extend their permission - it was due to expire in Feb? 2012.

Make of that what you ( or Bren or Sandal ) will.