Budgens: battle not over

Th North Norfolk News reports that Budgens is looking to get its apparently-scuppered plans for a store at Sheringham back on track. Their project seemed to have been spiked earlier this year by revelations that a clause of a land deal between rivals Tesco and car park owners North Norfolk District Council stopped the authority promoting supermarkets on any of its property. Tesco appear to be in the driving seat in the store-wars race, and are set to submit amended plans for a store on the Cromer Road. But Budgens have now re-stated their commitment to the town, and is poised for talks with top officials in a bid to unlock the land issue. The company backed the LDF's vision for Sheringham, which was rooted in defending the character of the existing shops in the town centre, while Cromer was identified as the main growth centre for retailing for the area. Budgens property director, James Pye, said “A new Budgens fits perfectly into that scenario, providing the need identified for more food retailing, without causing the closure of Sheringham's existing shops that would destroy the town's unique character,” Mr Pye continued: “Between 90pc and 95pc of the people who visited our exhibition were supportive of the Budgens scheme, many stating they feared the negative impact a Tesco supermarket would have on the town and we were greatly encouraged by their comments.”
Budgens had been keen to have a formal meeting with the council's chief executive Philip Burton, and - after he visited the exhibition - that had now been arranged.