| Good strategy lost in delays |
| By The Editor
Editorial Comment
AT last the Epsom supermarket saga appears to be over. There will be just one major development – the one now under construction on the site selected by the council more than four years ago.
Proponents of a second scheme on a different site have now produced a revised, much smaller concept.
While it may seem controversy always dogged the proposal, such was not the case. At the outset the community enthusiastically endorsed council’s long-term strategy for White Hills, Epsom, and Huntly areas which included use of the Howard Street Recreation Reserve for a retail development.
In terms of community consultation council’s work on this strategy was first class. Often it is hard to get people involved in a planning process but so many wanted to attend, extra meetings had to be convened. It all worked well.
On the one hand the community knew what it wanted – a supermarket and better sporting facilities – while on the other hand council had positive ideas to put forward – sell the Howard Street site for shops and use the money to acquire a large tract of land for new sports fields. In due course the strategy was formally adopted and the public might well have expected things to happen shortly thereafter.
But instead of things happening, delays set in. Why prompt action was not taken remains a mystery, but delay led to discontent and then to an alternative proposal for a retail development fronting the highway.
This new idea was skillfully promoted and gained support, particularly from people who had recently arrived to live in the area and who felt they had not been consulted.
New houses were springing up everywhere adding to the demand and also to the confusion.
What a pity that four years and a lot of public and private money has been wasted.
After having made such a good job of developing the strategy council let itself down by failing to act. Virtually no energy was put into causing anything to happen and this tardiness has resulted in higher building costs for both the Howard Street project and the new sports facilities, not to mention
the costs incurred and frustration endured by the private promoters of the alternative site.
By comparison, consider the speed with which Marketplace has gone about its expansion.
Four years ago when the Epsom project could have been under way, Marketplace had not even applied for a plannning permit.
More than likely it will be finished first, despite being a much larger development.
Had council moved smartly, the public would have been content, the promoters of the alternative proposal would not have wasted their time and money, and the facility with dozens of new jobs would now be operating.
As always time is the essence of the contract.
It is to be hoped the builders will make good progress and that in a few months the much-awaited shopping precinct will be up and running, and making an important contribution to the district.
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