Ware Online Community Forum

mb1 wrote:There were never more than a tiny handful of objectors and all of their objections were considered at length including by civil servants for the Secretary of State and found to be completely groundless. So, no, it wasn't controversial despite the fact that a couple of nimbys objected.

Very similar to the small group of NIMBYs (local residents) who told us for years that Asda would be the end of Ware. While there will have been impact on the immediate neighbours, the impact has of course not been the predicted gridlock devastation.

There's nothing wrong with having a different view!

My objection was purely based on the potential increase in vehicles of all sorts going past my house but I cannot hear them from here!

Andy B there was more than one traffic survey, the number of additional journeys projected is 23, so there was no viable traffic objection.

mb1 wrote: the number of additional journeys projected is 23, ..

Past Andy B's house

Most of the surveys were carried out by Asda although after sending a complaint to a councillor who told me that they been up there to take a look and there was no issue. Neither the councillor or anyone carrying out the surveys lived in my house or any of the houses in Watton or Westmill Road and to my knowledge spoke to them for an opinion. Anyway its all immaterial to me now as 8500 miles is far enough away for not to concern me now. On my return to Ware in the future I will visit old neighbours and ask how they feel now and if Asda has made any difference.

ASDA doesn't yet seem to have made much of a difference. A slight increase in traffic on a Saturday morning seems to be about it. It's certainly not 10% of the traffic they said they wanted to generate in visits to the store down the Watton Road.

mb1 wrote:ASDA doesn't yet seem to have made much of a difference. A slight increase in traffic on a Saturday morning seems to be about it. It's certainly not 10% of the traffic they said they wanted to generate in visits to the store down the Watton Road.

Is the store busy? Asda had visions of people from as far afield as Cheshunt using the store is there any evidence of this happening?

Andy B wrote:

mb1 wrote:ASDA doesn't yet seem to have made much of a difference. A slight increase in traffic on a Saturday morning seems to be about it. It's certainly not 10% of the traffic they said they wanted to generate in visits to the store down the Watton Road.

Is the store busy? Asda had visions of people from as far afield as Cheshunt using the store is there any evidence of this happening?

The store isn't particularly busy so far as I have seen, but then anyone who lives more than about 8 mins away already has one nearer.

We now have supermarket overkill with Sainsbury still to come, they are just spreading the customers thinner and thinner. I was always doubtful about their projections, where were all these thousands of customer going to come from?

mb1 wrote:There were never more than a tiny handful of objectors and all of their objections were considered at length including by civil servants for the Secretary of State and found to be completely groundless. So, no, it wasn't controversial despite the fact that a couple of nimbys objected.

Shall we try and be objective about this please? The objections are not "found to be completely groundless" but are not considered sufficient to stop the development and that is far from saying they aren't valid.

Also using the term NIMBY is pejorative and not helpful.

Now, can we keep on topic please and not talk about Asda in the 50 houses n Park Road thread? If you want to talk about Asda, use either the existing thread or start a new one please.

Ian wrote: Now, can we keep on topic please and not talk about Asda in the 50 houses n Park Road thread? If you want to talk about Asda, use either the existing thread or start a new one please.

I suggest it is on topic - the op says this "A dead-end road, grid locked traffic at certain times of the day, numerous near accidents, a new supermarket, additional housing, an expanding multi-national company, two expanding schools, a nursery, numerous residential properties, free parking on the side of the road, how much more can Park Road take ?"