£9million regeneration project in Ivybridge moves a step closer
Plans for the £9m regeneration of Ivybridge, which includes a new Aldi supermarket in the heart of the town, have been unanimously backed by councillors.
South Hams District Council’s executive, when they met on Thursday, unanimously backed the recommendation by officers that the project moves through to the planning, tender, construction and lease phases.
The £9m project would see a new Aldi supermarket build on part of the Leonards Road car park as part of a package to boost footfall in the town, and more than two thirds of people who replied to consultation over plans for a new Aldi supermarket in Ivybridge were in support of the major regeneration scheme.
The final decision will be made by full council next month, but the executive recommended that the decision to invest up to £9m in the regeneration of Ivybridge be approved.
Cllr Hilary Bastone, South Hams Executive Member for Enterprise, said: “Virtually everyone in Ivybridge is for the project. We need to move forward with this project and we must move on for the benefit of the people of Ivybridge.
“The economic report showed that Aldi would be a good fit for Ivybridge, acting as anchor for residents who currently leave the town for their shopping needs. The project provides an opportunity to regenerate Ivybridge town centre and offer significant benefits to the local economy and public realm.”
Cllr Jonathan Hawkins added: “This is a regeneration for Ivybridge and the most important thing for town centres is to get footfall and to get people on the street to actually buy produce. A supermarket like Aldi brings considerable footfall to a town centre, and the loss of this would be devastating for Ivybridge. We have had a huge amount of consultation and this is going to achieve the regeneration of Ivybridge. This is really beneficial and I look forward to seeing this built.”
Cllr Nicky Hopwood added: “There are so many benefits for the local community and there is such little negativity and most of it is positive.”
But Cllr Julian Brazil said that rather than a regeneration project, it was a ‘degeneration project’, while Cllr Keith Baldry said that while he with a heavy heart would vote for it, he said that it was a ‘miserable scheme’ which lacked ‘originality, thinking outside the box, and imagination’, and he was very sad about the whole thing.
Chris Brook, director of place and enterprise, said that the scheme was about trying to achieve an investment in the town that was far wider than just delivering an Aldi.
He added: “We are doing it the way we are to have the control and have a holistic delivery of a regeneration scheme. The project is about delivery a regeneration for Ivybridge and Aldi is the anchor store that delivers some of the benefits.”
The report of Laura Wotton, Head of Assets, added that in addition to the initial construction costs invested by the Council, the store could create 30-40 jobs and attract an extra 100 shoppers at any one time, who in turn can take advantage of the wider town Ivybridge offer, including the leisure centre and high street.
She said: “This project provides an opportunity to regenerate Ivybridge town centre and offer significant benefits to the local economy and public realm. It also carries with it the requirement to make a significant investment with which comes some risk, not least through the construction of a major infrastructure project.
“There is strong support for this project from residents, the business community, local members, town council and key stakeholders. If the project proceeds there will be a period of disruption within the town centre, albeit the project will be phased as far as possible to minimise the impact.
“The project delivers a better shopping choice for residents and provides a local offer which can be accessed without a vehicle. It will provide linked trip opportunities, which in turn improve the sustainability and vitality of the businesses in the high street and improve the local shopping and leisure offer to the benefit of local residents.”
The Ivybridge councillors had also thrown their support behind the project, with Cllr Victor Abbott saying: “I am pleased about the investment due to come into Ivybridge. The outcome of the questionnaire put to residents of Ivybridge and nearby homes was overwhelmingly in support of the discount supermarket.”
Cllr Lance Austen added: “I have long been an advocate of the Ivybridge Regeneration Plan and I believe it is a necessity for the town given the challenges that its businesses are facing. I am convinced that an Aldi would increase footfall in the town centre and that the majority of people in the town would definitely want the plan to go ahead.”
And Cllr Karen Pringle said: “The outcome of the questionnaire put to residents of Ivybridge and nearby homes was overwhelmingly in support of the discount supermarket and as a result of that I am happy to support this investment coming to Ivybridge.”
The executive unanimously recommended to full council that the Ivybridge Regeneration project through to planning, tender, construction and lease, subject but not limited to the regulatory statutory planning process and the total scheme cost being within the £9m budget, with the final decision being taken at the meeting on February 11.