Store shelves bid to bag extended hours - This is Sentinel

Store shelves bid to bag extended hours - This is Sentinel

A SUPERMARKET which planned to open for an extra five hours has made a last-minute U-turn.

Morrisons, in Knutton, wanted to trade from 6am until midnight to offer customers "greater flexibility".

1. U-TURN: Morrisons.

But after objections from residents, the company decided to ditch its bid just hours before the proposal went before Newcastle Borough Council.

The chain will now keep the store's current opening times of 8am to 9pm.

But it has not ruled out another application for longer hours at a later date.

Peter Cotton, aged 75, of Malham Road, Knutton, said: "It is the right decision not to go ahead.

"The site is in close proximity to an old people's complex and they don't want all that extra noise up until midnight."

The plans would have allowed the store, in Lower Milehouse Lane, to sell alcohol during the revised times.

Mr Cotton added: "It would attract more traffic on our roads and affect those living close by."

The plans would also have meant the store had the longest opening hours out of all the Morrisons in the area.

The supermarket in Newcastle town centre opens from 8am until 10pm, while Morrisons at Festival Park operates from 7am until 10pm.

Currently all three stores open from 10am until 4pm on Sundays.

Originally the supermarket had claimed the extended hours would provide more choice for shoppers.

At the time, a spokesman said: "We have made an application to extend our opening hours in order to give customers greater flexibility when they do their weekly shop."

However, there were objections from residents living near the shop.

Then, before a decision could be taken by a Newcastle Borough Council licensing subcommittee, the company withdrew its application.

Don Procter, aged 75, from Lower Milehouse Lane, said: "People feel very strongly about this and I am pleased to hear it is not going ahead.

"I was very unhappy about the proposed opening hours.

"Perhaps they have bowed to pressure from locals and that is the last we will hear of it."

Mr Cotton, a retired engineer said: "It is a happy thing that they have withdrawn.

"If people are so desperate to make purchases at this time of night they can travel out of town.

"But this is a residential area and the people should be the first priority."

A Morrisons spokesman said: "We always want to make sure store hours are right so we can deliver great service.

"We review this on a regular basis and may resubmit another application at a later date."

Source: www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk