How the Staplehurst Tesco will look

Village residents fear plans will bring more traffic to their streets

Residents and businesses in Staplehurst are worried two major supermarkets could be opening in the village – and their biggest concern is traffic.

Tesco has submitted plans for a new store and improved railway station facilities. It wants to build a new store on Station Approach and improve facilities at Staplehurst railway station.

The store will create 150 new full and part-time job opportunities for people living in the area, while the station developments will provide improved transport facilities, including a new secure car park.

And just south of that, Sainsbury’s wants to build another supermarket, and that has already had a preliminary thumbs up from the parish council.

But some local companies are concerned it is all going to lead to more traffic with a major impact on life in the large village.

Julian Flint runs a computer management company. He said: “I live at Cross at Hand and am fed up with lorries shaking my house.

“Now if these two supermarkets, Tesco and Sainsbury, get the go-ahead we will be seeing many more lorries running past not just my house, but many others.

“These supermarkets are a bit like buses – we have none and then two come along at once. I am sure from a green standpoint it will be good news because it will cut down on the number of car journeys to the supermarkets in Aylesford and Maidstone. But conversely, now we are going to get all the traffic on our doorstep.”

And Babs Hubburd, who runs JBH Refurbishments, added: “Traffic is my main worry. I have spoken with lots of people around here, and we are broadly for it, but worried all the extra cars arriving will have an impact.

“Plus there will be a lot of delivery lorries that will come and go every day.”

Tesco said residents have told it they want the jobs, convenience and choice a new supermarket would bring to the area.

Sainsbury wants to move a local company, DK Holdings, build theitm a new factory nearby, and then open a 19,000 sqft supermarket between Station Approach and Lodge Road.

A spokesman for the parish council agreed the two sites are quite close, and it’s almost as if the two companies are competing for the same turf.

Jonathan Simpson, Tesco’s corporate affairs manager, said: “After consulting with the local community we are pleased to have submitted an application for a new store and improved station facilities in Staplehurst.

“We’ve been encouraged by the level of support received from local residents who are in favour of more jobs and investment in the area.

“By providing a new supermarket and convenient petrol filling station on one site we can help to keep local people shopping within Staplehurst. We are excited about the prospect of investing in Staplehurst and working with the Council on our plans.”

And Max Whitehand, Sainsbury’s regional development executive, said: “We are very excited about our partnership with DK Holdings on this project. The new store and factory, together with our proposals for a new petrol filling station, would bring a range of benefits to the local community as well as enhancing the future of an important local employer.”

Jo James, chief executive, Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce, said: “Supermarkets are always a contentious issue. There is always the element of them taking business from local stores and town centres. Nonetheless, people do their shopping in supermarkets, and they are very convenient. The simple fact is that shopping is changing and people like to do it in supermarkets.

“If the population of Staplehurst and the surrounding area want a supermarket, then surely they should have one.

“What we must try to do is adjust to that situation and to try and ensure that there is still a place for local stores and town centre shops, to somehow develop a situation where in both supermarkets and individual enterprises have a place in the community to provide goods and services which people need.”

The planning applications for both stores will be considered for approval by councillors at Maidstone.