I really don't understand comments such as those yomster and working4HOP have posted here. Yomster, your post is a complete contradiction in terms. In your opening sentence you say you have seen many shops come and go, and then go on to say a Sainsburys would kill the high street!!!??

Quite a few years ago a number of retail units on the parade were turned into residential units as it was deemed the high street wasn't surviving. Let's look at the current situation on our 'vibrant and ALIVE' high street. We have maybe 20-25 units available for some form of retail, and out of that 6 of them (3 of which are in question for the proposed development) currently serve no use to the general public due to the fact they didn't supply the local community with what they wanted (it seems to have gone unnoticed on here that the pet shop had the bailiffs in 2 or 3 weeks a go now!!!!). What is it that you want? Shops to ‘come and go’ forever more, is that a sign of a successful parade of shops?

Something is not right, and it hasn't been for a long while. There are some good shops on our high street, but it is still not a hub, it’s not a place that people gravitate to. A ‘popular’ (there’s a reason why it’s called popular) local chain will help to achieve this in my opinion, a tried and tested shop offering convenience, a good shopping experience, and offering products the general public actually want and need is what our high street needs to bring people in to the area. This, in turn will increase visibility of all the other outlets close by. I’ve said it before on this forum that there’s a reason why chains succeed and that’s because they’ve found a winning formula, people want to shop there. Please don’t say it’s because they can use economies of scale, it’s been mentioned many times that they’re more expensive than the smaller shops. If you are against these chains, don’t shop there, support the smaller less inviting shops.

I want a free cash machine on our high street, I want 'fresh' veg available, I want a place I can buy meat from on my walk home that i can cook up for my evening meal. Let’s be honest, the ONLY shops on the parade that this may possibly be detrimental to are the newsagents. There are 4 newsagents on the street, none of them do anything to enhance my shopping experience. This is going to be a kick up the backside to them if it actually happens and if they do want to succeed then they’re going to have to stop resting on their laurels and up their game; this can only be a good thing for the consumer.

I see hundreds of people exit the train station every 5-10 minutes in the evening, I kind of use it to gauge the popularity of the area and in my opinion this area is increasingly attracting lots of professional people who have money to spend. 99% of them turn left, right, straight ahead out of the station and walk straight past all the shops or don’t give them a single thought and walk to their homes in the opposite direction, a Sainsbury’s local or the like would attract these people. It will inject something into the high street that is badly needed.

Sorry to go on people but (and I’ve nearly finished) I do have to say that Working4HOP, you’re really clutching at straws with your comments:

1. Constant deliveries 3 or 4 times a day (another contradiction in terms)? surely, delivering all the ‘fresh’ produce which is badly needed.
2. Pollution? Have you seen the traffic already coming down Honor Oak Park of an evening?
3(a) If the rear residential development is approved? I don’t quite understand what you mean, I’m not 100% sure as I’m not looking at the plans but aren’t there already flats there, in fact are they not reducing the number of flats?
…and finally, the most strange, 3(b) Local amenity strains? What on earth are you trying to suggest by saying that!!!!???

Last thing!!!! I’m all for getting an independent butcher, baker, fishmonger, grocer and any other much needed outlet onto the parade but let’s be honest, we’ve waited long enough and I’m afraid we’d just be waiting forever.