Open Letter: Byebrook Barn Garden Centre

Dear Sirs,

The planning application for a Garden Centre in the Eureka Leisure Park will significantly damage locally held companies and jobs in other Ashford Garden Centres (Kentish Express 28 January 2010).

Firstly, I am confused as to how a Garden Centre can be considered a Leisure pursuit when it is clearly a retail facility with a few additions to keep the children occupied (as many large scale retail units now utilise).

Secondly, Dobbies is in fact owned by Tesco Supermarket Chain and will further saturate Ashford with large scale business monopoly.

While the development "boasts" an additional 130 jobs, one must wonder if this will at the expense of the jobs for those at The Bybrook Barn Garden Centre, the Wyevales and Homebase not to mention the smaller centres in the villages. Certainly Byebrook Barn is the most likely to suffer, being the immediate competition to the proposed site, not to mention the other family run businesses on the site. They will suffer enough from the building developments in the future months, and it would be a great shame to see another locally established business removed by yet another supermarket, even if the supermarket is masquerading as a "unique day out destination for all the family" .

I urge residents to write to Ashford Borough Council objecting to the development under Planning Ref No: 10/00059/AS

Regards,

Kelly-Marie Blundell
Ashford Liberal Democrats
Kennington