Blackheath Village could see new Sainsbury’s open
Plans are in to open a new Sainsbury’s in Blackheath Village.
A unit at 25-27 Tranquil Vale has seen a planning application from Sainsbury’s and Morden College for a Local store at the former Pare’s Footwear.
Given the Grade II listed nature of the building, its frontage is more restrained than normal with less orange to be seen.
A cover letter states: “The proposal includes one externally illuminated signs and a non-illuminated projecting sign.
“The proposed signage is modest and appropriate for the site context and respects the host building and their setting and should be approved, without delay.”
It’s the second supermarket application in recent months for the village following plans for an Asda at a former Lloyds bank unit just over the borough boundary.
A building in Greenwich is also being expanded with plans for a new Sainsburys near the o2 and cable car.
Plans can be viewed here.
Running a site alone takes time and a fair bit of money. Adverts are far from enough to cover it and my living costs as a private renter.
You can support me including via Paypal here Another option is via Patreon by clicking here You can also buy me a beer/coffee at Ko-fi here There's also a Facebook page for the site here Many thanks
I imagine this will be a welcome alternative to the frozen tomb of the refurbished M&S at the Standard. If you’ve not been there, try to imagine a supermarket done to the long, one-way corridor style of IKEA, then have everything in open chill cabinets at 4°C. It is fast becoming a trial for all but the most desperate or unwary pensioner. Even the cashier have had their till chairs removed: the whole ‘go away’ vibe of the building extending to the heavily-jacketed staffers.
I’m not going to be cheering for these chain supermarkets popping up all over the place, but I do understand there is a need for them. What upsets me is that the independent shops are struggling to survive in the village. Only within the last few years have we seen The Avocado Garden, Copper & Ink, Pares and other independents disappear. Without these small individual stores, you end up with a high street that looks like pretty much everywhere else.
I try to support the local businesses. Boulangerie Jade, Ellis Butchers, Rockpool Fishmongers, The Blackbird, Hortus, Blackheath Locksmiths, 15 Grams, Madeline’s, Blackheath Yoga, The Blackheath Creatives, Montpelier’s, Aiko, Bonds, Selectric and Zero Degrees among others are all assets to the area. Unfortunately, the larger chains are more likely to do better in these economically turbulent times.
I suspect that as the older, more traditional residents passed away the village action group lost its focus on keeping the area as an independent village. I remember when they wouldn’t allow a fish and chip shop until Ed’s got around it by calling itself a fish bar. Likewise when Starbucks managed to get in a few doors down from the station, the expected custom simply never materialised, and they left a year later.
With rising rates (the reason we lost Copper & Ink and Zaibatsu at same time; and the ludicrous rise in everything from utilities to raw ingredients, pretty soon all that will be left are the bigger chains. As it is, the Village already has the likes of Costa, Gails, Waterstones, Greggs and Pizza Express so this is not an unexpected weakening of character. That, and there are simply not enough rich or influential residents in the area to continuously patronise small stores. Go down to Barnes Bridge or Wimbledon Village and you’ll see what the difference is, where they can actually afford to keep their local places thriving. A shame, I still have both the toy and the memories of Raggedy Ann’s from the dip in the village.
Agree that prices must be hitting independents hard, but I still think there would be place for those delivering real good value, the butcher seems to be doing fine for example.
Interesting, so we go from 1 (Shepherd foods) to 4. I saw Asda got its permission despite the complaints. Personally not a fan of the Morrisons so we’ll see which of the 2 will turn out most convenient. If I were Shepherd I would pivot to upper segment offerings rather than just upper segment pricings.
Could have had a Ole and Steen but ah well..
Note Boulangerie Jade is also a chain
Does anyone know what will happen to the old flower shop? It’s been empty for a while now but doesn’t seem to be advertised.
Re: the old flower shop (which btw is yet another independent shop lost) I’ve seen a few people looking at it this weekend. Not sure where it’s marketed as there isn’t anything online. Looks like the back of that shop has a nice view over the railway tracks.
Correction! I checked on Google Maps and the back of that shop can’t be overlooking the tracks.
Blackheath village is rapidly turning into another express supermarket ally. This is what happens when you have a lousy local government planning department and a averitious property company in cahoots. Soulless spread city developments that hollow out anything ‘local’ and replace with ‘cut and paste’ express micro-marts etc.
I agree it is nice to have areas of traditional shops run by independent traders.But sadly the reality is after covid and the cost of living crisis. People are always looking for cheaper bargains. The chain stores can bring cheaper prices than independent traders who need to cover their overheads. Particularly when it comes to everyday food items.
Also people like the opening hours of convenience stores which are also open for longer and tend to suit younger people that are always on the go.