Cllr. Jill Whitehead who is chairwoman of the Council’s Environment & Neighbourhoods Committee, says: “There has been a fair bit of speculation recently about the possibility of a 3rd supermarket in Carshalton High Street on the north side next door to Park Lane Pharmacy.  We understand that the rumours are referring to what are known officially as Units A, B and C of Beacon Grove (formerly a dry-cleaners’ shop, a greengrocer’s shop and a butcher’s shop respectively).

    Cllr. Hamish Pollock, a member of the council’s Planning or Development Control Committee says: “As we went to press as it were with this web site bulletin, no planning application has yet been received by Sutton Council from any supermarket chain (or their agents) in relation to these properties. Council planning officers tell us that they are not aware of any other proposals. However, as the last use of these properties was retail, planning permission would not be needed for a change of use to another retail use such as a supermarket. It is our understanding that two of the three empty units are possibly to be combined to become a cafeteria/restaurant and the third would become a new greengrocer’s shop.  Planning permission would only be needed if they were proposing to change the shop fronts, and advertisement consent would probably be needed for any signage they wanted. 

   Cllr. Alan Salter says: “It should be pointed out that having a second supermarket in Carshalton High Street in the form of Sainsbury’s (despite the misgivings of many local residents) seems to have encouraged foot fall in the High Street and it is a great credit to the local traders that the vast majority of shops are surviving this recession, thus far.  The local supermarkets of course provide much needed local jobs, especially for younger and older people in these difficult times. Nearby Wallington also has a growing number of supermarkets in the form of Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Lidl, the new store by the station approach and a 5th store at Canon Court (Sainsbury’s) near Wallington Station is being constructed as we went to press.