People have been asking for more chain shops the type you see again and again in every town. Yes the development plan has space for these.

BUT be warned they have no local loyalty and will close and move out at any downturn in profits. They are often operated by big groups like Arcadia who will make hard decisions and pull out quickly
Multiple retailers with six or more shops failed to open as many stores as they closed last year for the first time since 2008, according to a study of the 500 biggest town centres in the UK by PwC and Local Data Company.

Stores selling books, electrical items, home furnishings, menswear, and holidays were the hardest hit, along with off-licences, bars and pubs.

And in a reflection of austerity Britain, pound stores, charity shops, credit unions, supermarkets and retailers selling convenience food all increased their store numbers.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics show today that UK retail sales volumes fell 0.4% between December and January, adding to fears for the future of high streets.

ref Frome and Shepton Mallet and all the other market towns blighted by large and powerful retailers and property developers and confused councillors - the whole concept of the weekly bulk shop is already being replaced by on-line shopping and it will not very very long before the out of town sheds stop being public shopping facilities and will be converted to or demolished and replaced by the large warehouses that will become the depots for the receipt/delivery of the ever increasing home shopping.

I have just seen the interview with Damian Wood.

It was remarkable how he managed to say nothing important. Asked about the development he used the usual developers quote "confidentiality clauses" and dodged other pertinent enquiries with "conducting consultations" . Such consultations are window dressing and seldom lead to substanial change in the developer's plans.

If you want to see their projects look at the link then go to their homepage


link

http://tinyurl.com/6pmwg2r

I urge people to look at some of the sixties and seventies projects that developers made in other towns. Many of them look jaded disused and don't age well unlike earlier buildings.

We should be cautious ovr any plans brought forward for Saxondale by Frontier Estates -