Supermarket giant Asda confirms Saints deal is still on
New Franklin's Garden expansion plans.
SUPERMARKET giant Asda has confirmed it is still interested in building a store close to Franklin’s Gardens in Northampton, despite the development not being included in a list of planned stores published by the firm earlier this week.
On Monday, the firm announced plans to open 25 new supermarkets across the country. The list did not include one close to the home of the Northampton Saints, which has been on the cards since 2009.
But Asda spokesman, Chris Martin, said that did not mean the store was not still planned.
He said: “We’re looking to advance our plans in terms of investing in Northampton at the moment and we’re in discussions to bring them to fruition.
“The Saints plan is still on the cards and is what we would like to bring forward.
“We’ve got every confidence that we can make something happen. It’s just a case of ironing out the finer details.”
Following its takeover of the Netto chain last year, Asda now has three stores in the town.
But Mr Martin said the conversion of the town’s former Netto shops into mini-Asdas would not stop the development of a large new supermarket.
He said: “Stores of that size are great for top-up shopping, but in terms of having a major food store, we’re very much looking at bringing that forward and we want to make it happen.”
The 2009 plan for the store would have seen a supermarket built on one of the Saints’ car parks and money from the development used to increase the Franklin’s Gardens stadium capacity to 17,000.
In September last year, the Saints scaled back the plans to push the ground up to just 15,500 seats. The club said the move would save the Saints about £2 million.
Saints spokesman, Chris Wearmouth, said the plan to work with Asda was still the favoured way to expand the ground.
He said: “We’ve said right from the start that an enabling retail development is our preferred option, it would be a win-win for everybody.
“Not only would we get a new stand, giving more people the chance to watch the Saints in Northampton, but local people would also get more choice in their food shopping and there would be more jobs for the community. Everybody would benefit.”
Full plans for the development are expected to be revealed later this year.
Asda is currently Britain’s second biggest supermarket chain, behind Tesco. The largest store it currently has in Northampton is in Kingsthorpe.
Nationally, the firm employs 180,000 staff across 528 stores and depots.
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Comments
There are 16 comments to this article
Page 1 of 2
ChrisWearmouth
Monday, March 5, 2012 at 10:45 AMRyanS - your conspiracy theory is completely wide of the mark. Getting plans drawn up costs a considerable amount of money - would we really have done that if our intention was to move to Milton Keynes?! There is no, repeat NO, plan to move the Saints away from Franklin's Gardens. We are committed to a £5 million development that would satisfy Heineken Cup regulations and lay the foundations for long-term financial sustainability. As anyone who has dealt with major developments (and this is a major development which has three big stakeholders) will know, these things take time. That said, as Leon Barwell told BBC Radio Northampton last week, a pre-planning submission has been made to Northampton Borough Council and a planning application will be put in sooner rather than later.
Ryan S
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 09:14 AMI've been coming back to this article to see if Mr Wearmouth has answered any of the points I and others have made. He hasn't. Chrispy1 you touched a nerve. They've seen the colour of Winkelman's money. I won't be surprised if the Saints keep on trotting out statements every few weeks or months to say they will be submitting a planning application "soon" when they have no intention of doing so. Within fifteen years Franklin's Gardens will be a housing estate.
BQ
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 02:12 PMMy thoughts on anything the Saints have to say about their plans , when they are going to happen, why they aren't happening and any of the other waffle Barwell Snr, Barwell Jnr, Robson or Mr Wearmouth come out with: EL EYE EEE ESSES!
Pending Moderation
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 05:44 PMChris Wearmouth. In post number 8 "The plans may have been confirmed but they still need funding." Then in post number 11 "we will have to put in a planning application sooner rather than later, but only - and only - when it is absolutely ready to be submitted." Two contradictory statements from you. So which one is it? Have the plans been confirmed or are they still not ready? How can we believe a word you say?
Ryan S
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 05:27 PMChris Wearmouth, you say "we will have to put in a planning application sooner rather than later, but only - and only - when it is absolutely ready to be submitted". I just don't see where this fits in with the date when Leon Barwell and Alan Robson have both said the plans WILL be submitted. One minute you are all systems go and the next you are making excuses.Why shouldn't I expect a statement soon saying the plans have been delayed from the spring into the summer? Fair play to the Saints if they can get someone else to pay for the stand, but please be honest and say you are going to wait until that money is available. Don't keep blaming the council, getting the plans right or anyone or anything else for the constant delays. It doesn't wash any more.
ChrisWearmouth
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 04:04 PM'Pending Moderation', as I said earlier we remain committed to building the new North Stand in the summer of 2013. This means that we will have to put in a planning application sooner rather than later, but only - and only - when it is absolutely ready to be submitted. 'Chrispy1' - please stop with conspiracy theories. Committing ourselves to the £5 million development shows that Franklin's Gardens is the home of the Saints. But you should note two things - a) 25% of our supporter base comes from Milton Keynes, disproving your contention about the lack of support for rugby in the city, and b) Pete Winkelman was not actually the person who made the decision to move Wimbledon to Milton Keynes. Yes, he wanted to build a stadium and have a football club to use it, but the actual decision to move was made by the then-board of the football club and the Norweigan owners.
Chrispy1
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 02:58 PMNBC MUST help Saints get their ground developed. Winkie has been disappointed that his franchise of Wimbledon FC wasn't as successful as he hoped, but he would love to create Franchise RFC as tenants of his stadium, which would make him much richer! I'm quite certain Franchise RFC would be even more unsuccessful than Franchise FC has been (there's very little interest in rugby in Milton Keynes) but the threat is there and it's real. Saints must get their ground re-developed as they need, then Winkie won't be able to even get one match a year from them!
Pending Moderation
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 02:34 PMSo, Mr Wearmouth, will the Saints still be putting in their plans in the next couple of months (which is what I think Leon Barwell has been saying) or has that changed and will you be waiting until Franklin's Gardens makes it to the top of ASDA's list? It is all very confusing.
ChrisWearmouth
Monday, January 30, 2012 at 05:30 PMA couple of things to straighten out... - The 15,500 capacity is still enough for a home Heineken Cup quarter final under the current regulations. Heineken Cup semi-final venues are chosen by ERC and cannot be the home ground of the 'home' club. It is also still the single biggest expansion in the stadium's history and would mean that 2,000 more people would be able to come and watch the Saints in Northampton week in, week out - that is what the development is about, not just the big games - The plans may have been confirmed but they still need funding. This stand represents a £5 million investment into the stadium and this is not a sum of money we have lying around! We can a) take on substantial amounts of debt, or b) use enabling retail development which would allow us to develop with no net cost. As a small business (in financial terms at least) option b would always be our first option
Tabasco kid
Saturday, January 28, 2012 at 01:04 PMA new capacity of 15,500 is still short of the minimum requirement for the later stages of the Heineken Cup. This means that big games will continue to be switched to MK. Slowly but surely, the relocation is taking place.
Removed by moderator
Saturday, January 28, 2012 at 12:10 PMI know of a nice big ground paid for ASDA and IKEA, it will be finished off by M&S. Things get done in Milton Keynes. Not like Northampton.
mojo
Saturday, January 28, 2012 at 11:45 AMI thought that the Saints had put plans forward for the ground expansion so they don't need Asda money now do they?
Ryan S
Saturday, January 28, 2012 at 10:51 AMAbout that drawing. New plans? "Meet the new plans, same as the old plans." Franklin's Gardens doesn't even make it into ASDA's top 25, so my money is on the Grosvenor Centre being finished before ASDA opens in Jimmy's End.
NTFCseasonticketholder1
Saturday, January 28, 2012 at 08:44 AMHi Steve, yes you could be right!! but as a loyal supporterl of my club I have some faith.
SteveRiches
Saturday, January 28, 2012 at 08:31 AMIt'll give Cobblers supporters somewhere to shop when we're playing away at Darlington!
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