Two witnesses tore to pieces Caffe Nero’s claims at Tuesday’s public inquiry into its appeal for retrospective planning consent that its added value was that it attracted extra visitors to Marlborough’s town centre.
One was John Kirkman, a retired university teacher from Ramsbury, who has been chairman of the Kennet branch of CPRE for 16 years, who revealed that he personally sat inside the café and counted its take-away customers.
And the other was Wiltshire councillor Richard Gamble, the vice-chairman of its East Area Planning Committee, whose arguments overturned the positive recommendation of the council’s own officers when it considered Caffe Nero’s application in July.
He produced evidence to show that Caffe Nero had used “similar figures” of potential customer use for planning applications in other towns such as Devizes, when there were significant differences between them.
And he declared that their statistics should be given no weight.
“Caffe Nero offers us nothing new,” Mr Kirkman told inquiry inspector Phil Grainger. “The High Street and its associated Hilliers and Hugenden Yards alone have 13 coffee outlets already, not including restaurants and pubs.”
“They include provision parallel to the Caffe Nero offer from Costa Coffee and from a well-established, locally created equivalent at the other end of the street in The Food Gallery.”
“There is a diversity of take-out and eat-in services, such as Barkers, The Polly, and Mercers, in between.”
Mr Kirkman challenged the allegedly independent reports by Allegra submitted by Caffe Nero as to the value of branded coffee outlets in UK towns and Allega’s own survey in Marlborough. The first report was in fact sponsored by Starbucks.
He tackled the discrepancies between estimates of the take-away trade at Caffe Nero – that it would rise to 30 per cent – compared to a Marlborough town council survey and his own figures from sitting inside the premises. These ranged from as low as 14 and 18 per cent but never more than a claimed 24 per cent.
And he declared that footfall claims of Caffe Nero attracting new visitors to the town centre were “misleading and unfair” since there was no evidence at all of surveys conducted prior to the café opening and, in any case, Caffe Nero was not comparing like with like as to differing opening hours.
Councillor Gamble informed the inquiry that Caffe Nero’s appearance on the High Street failed to meet the basic strategy in the current Marlborough Area Plan, which identified the “principal needs and aspirations of the community.”
It identified “maintaining a vibrant and healthy High Street” as an issue and the fact that “independent business are being replaced by nationals”. The plan’s recommendation was to “expand Chamber of Commerce to encourage a wider range of independents”.
The individuality of Marlborough was an equally vital issue but correspondence from Caffe Nero paid little attention to it.
“This was made evident by the fact that a very similar letter indeed was submitted by the same agent in respect of a subsequent application in Devizes,” said Councillor Gamble. “That letter, dated June 19, was received by Wiltshire Council on June 23 and was thus available to view before the committee meeting about Marlborough on July 19. I noted that the text of the two letters was very similar indeed.”
“Not least, both letters quoted exactly the same figures for expected use of the respective premises despite the fact that the sites were in towns of different character.”
In fact, Devizes is at least twice as large as Marlborough. Wiltshire Council’s profiles of each community area stated that the population of Devizes was 16,880 and Marlborough was 8,300. Marlborough, however, is probably more prosperous.”
“Average house prices at that date were quoted as £229,439 for Devizes and £332,050 for Marlborough. As a local resident and councillor, these differences are well known to me. I formed the view, therefore, that the case made by the applicant had no specificity to Marlborough and that the figures quoted should not be given any weight.”
The inquiry has been adjourned until February 7.
See Also:
“Caffe Nero is ‘the cynical cuckoo sitting in the heart of Marlborough’s successful High Street’“
“Caffe Nero accused of being “parasitic” at major Marlborough planning inquiry into its future“
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Quotes from the Inquiry “Wiltshire Council recognises that money spent in independent retailers helps to keep the local economy buoyant and maintains thriving town centres,” said Marlborough town councillor and Transition Marlborough supporter Richard Pitts. “As evidence of this, a study by the New Economics Foundation shows 25 per cent spent at independent retailer stays local, versus only 14 per cent spent in national chain. “Our local businesses are predicated on Marlborough’s unique High Street, which further attracts visitors and so ensures the town is kept vibrant. “I don’t not believe the corporate companies do this in Marlborough, they rarely get involved with the local Chamber of Commerce and put their hands in their pockets to fund things like the Christmas lights to promote the town. “Given their attitude thus far, I can’t see Caffe Nero contributing to the viability and vitality in this way either.” Councillor Margaret Rose, chairman of Marlborough town council’s Planning Committee: “This appeal, if allowed, will be in conflict with the national guidance and local policies that seek the safeguard and underpin the well-being of town centres. “Allowing it would amount to opening up the floodgates to the likes of Caffe Nero to ride into any town and flaunt convention and planning regulations by just setting up shop and throwing down the gauntlet to the planning authorities.” Calling for the appeal to be thwarted, she added: “Marlborough does not need to rely on Caffe Nero for its footfall. In fact it is the reverse. Caffe Nero hoovers up the trade because of its chosen position and this denies trade to the smaller cafes and independent businesses of the High Street, which consequently suffer. “ It’s chain retailers such as Caffe Nero push out independents.” Liz Rolph, a Marlborough High Street resident, told the inquiry: “Having this café in that position means that people are not moving past that point as much as they did when it was a clothes retailer. So it would be good to see it return to that type of use. “I have noticed that the other end is given less footfall in many of the individual retailers. I don’t have any scientific evidence of this but, nevertheless, it is now noticeable. “Having another chain store does take away from our High Street its attractiveness and uniqueness to visitors. So all the businesses do suffer as a consequence. “Marlborough town council does have the support of many of the residents in this. So I hope the council will be able to keep out High Street attractive for as long as possible.” |
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