I am a regular user of the Sainsbury Store on Foss Bank and like many others will be sorry to see it go. But the petition calling on the freehold owners to allow Sainsbury to remain is both misguided and futile.
If the leases are expiring the landowners have every right to take back the land and buildings for redevelopment. No one is entitled to tell them they must retain the forty year old supermarket building; still less that Sainsbury must be the only retailer allowed to rent it.
Given the massive mega blocks that have been approved all over York it is hardly surprising that this large area is coming forward for redevelopment.
It is a prime location occupied by only single storey structures and car parking. As such it is an inefficient use of land on the edge of the city centre.
It would be both unfair and completely indefensible for York planners to say these landowners cannot put more volume on their valuable real-estate after so many others have been granted approval to stack up multi-storey buildings on postage stamp size plots.
If the Local Authority hadn’t granted permission for so many overlarge schemes they might have been able to resist applications for substantial redevelopment of Foss Bank; but precedents have been set which are undeniable.
You reap what you sow.
Matthew Laverack, Lord Mayors Walk, York
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