Opponents' last-minute plea over store plan

* County Hall, Ruthin, where Wednesday's planning committee will be held.

A campaign group has pledged to fight on against plans for a new Sainsbury’s supermarket in Llangollen despite county planners backing the scheme.

Related applications for a new foodstore on the site of Dobson and Crowther’s envelope factory off Berwyn Street and the re-location of the plant to nearby Cilmedw Farm are due to be considered by Denbighshire’s planning committee on Wednesday morning.

Chief planner Graham Boase has already recommended that both schemes are approved by councillors.

Pressure group Keep Llangollen Special (KLS), which was set up to fight the superstore bid, has been denied permission to speak against the plans at Wednesday’s meeting as it is council policy to allow only two speakers for and two against any application  and all places had already been allocated.

However, the group has sent in a last-minute plea for the plans to be rejected, which the council has assured will be tabled for councillors to see before the meeting.

KLS has also issued this statement to llanblogger re-stating its case, which reads: 

“This Battleground Llangollen:  It seems everything happens at once. Not only are we set to lose our police station and cottage hospital, but the Case Officer for Denbighshire Planning has recommended granting approval to Sainsbury’s and the development of Cilmedw.

“We’re not giving up, not under any circumstances.

“We’re actively lobbying members of the Planning Committee, and we still have a few irons in the fire as a Plan B, just in case.

“The Planning Meeting itself is open to the public, and we would encourage anyone who opposes the supermarket to attend.

“It’s at the County Offices, Wynnstay Road, Ruthin, and you need to arrive by 9.15am.

“We need to show the councillors just how strong this issue is with us. Regrettably, only those who have already booked slots to speak will be allowed to, but your presence will be felt.

“It’s not too late to lobby your county councillors – Rhys Hughes and Stuart Davies - so please do.

“They’re there to represent your views, not their own, after all. rhys.hughes@denbighshire.gov.uk and stuart.a.davies@denbighshire.gov.uk. “