Joint Press Release From Dover District Council and Asda
ASDA Withdraw From Dover Development
ASDA Stores Ltd has
announced that following an internal review of its involvement in
the Dover Town Investment Zone proposals, the company has decided
to withdraw its plans for a new store in the scheme.
Dover District Council has expressed its disappointment that,
following the granting of planning permission last year, ASDA has
chosen to withdraw having decided that their part of the scheme is
no longer commercially viable.
The Council has already confirmed with Bond City, its
development partner, that existing commitments for a hotel and
other housing aspects of the scheme will be able to progress for
other areas of the site. The Council has now started to review
alternative options to replace ASDA and will continue to drive
these discussions forward as a matter of urgency.
All parties have put a significant amount of work into creating
the framework for the comprehensive development of the highly
visible site next to a nationally strategic road into the port over
the last few years. This work has included overcoming initial
concerns from organisations such as the Highways Agency, English
Heritage, CABE and the Environment Agency, while also acquiring
land such as the former Stagecoach Depot and Charrington’s
Site.
The immense amount of work that has taken place to progress the
Dover Town Investment Zone scheme will secure progress on the
original application and will be available to any new prospective
partners for this key investment site.
Dover District Council will continue to promote the district as
an area prime for investment during these very difficult financial
times, building on the recent retail successes of Morrisons and
B&Q, as well as Dover’s Sea Sports Centre, the High Speed
Train, and developments in the Whitfield Business Park.
The Leader of Dover District Council, Councillor Paul Watkins,
stated: “I am disappointed that, after all of the effort the
Council, ASDA and our partner Bond City have put into this
development, we are not able to continue with ASDA as a partner for
this part of the Dover Town Investment Zone scheme. We will now
work hard to secure the rest of the development and seek a new
partner to replace ASDA.”
An ASDA spokesperson said: "We are very disappointed but despite
the best efforts of all concerned, we have had to end our
involvement in the scheme. There were key areas that we could not
agree on, such as design requirements and the operation of
the shoppers’ car park. We want to invest in Dover but
unfortunately we will not be able to bring forward an ASDA store on
this site. We hope that the Council and Bond City will be able to
progress the regeneration of the area with another partner and we
wish them well."
Date: 02/03/2010
Contact: Andy Steele
Telephone: 01304 821199
Fax: 01304 872062
Press Office Direct Line: 01304 872020
E-Mail: pr@dover.gov.uk
