Hi Poppy and lacb,
No I don't think people are being selfish in wanting a shop that serves their particular needs. Any shops of the type I'd like to see would need to open late on at least two weekday evenings.
Of course I don't want to see empty shops on the parade. But, have you considered that were a Sainsbury's to come onto Honor Oak Park, several existing businesses might well close down? Because having a Sainsbury's is likely to encourage the owners to put the cost of renting or leases up considerably, who is out there who will want to come in? Do we want more multiples, such as Boots? Or, do we want independent operations such as Jumping Bean and Neroli?
Bear in mind, too, that a Sainsbury's Local will only remain in the area for as long as Head Office deems it profitable. Remember what happened to the one attached to the petrol station on Stansted Road? What took its place eventually is OK but is not offering the same degree of usefulness.
Finally, it's easy for those of us living in a nice quiet street well away from the high street to find the idea of a quite large supermarket very attractive. Those who have lived in or around the high street for years, and have enjoyed a relatively quiet environment, are the people who will have to take the full force of disruption, early-morning deliveries, traffic congestion and parking. If the Sainsbury's does go ahead, then these issues will need some really hard work to resolve in everyone's best interests.