Morrisons are going to Ilkeston

Councillors have granted a planning application for a new 65,000 square feet superstore in Ilkeston.

This is a complete tragedy for Bath St. It is very hard for small retailers to compete and life will now be much harder. Whilst a few jobs and some cheaper groceries may benefit many of the population, towns need a decent high street/ business to survive and grow.

Nigel Green's assertions are very misleading as no school has a student staff ratio of 4:1. I would guess that most of the teachers are part time and come from Derby College themselves. In fact, there are Free Schools initiatives, that the Government would have funded without the need for a supermarket. 

I have been letting shops in Ilkeston for the last six years and would like to see the Business Rates, generated by the new store, used to reduce the rating liability for the shops in Ilkeston. This £1.25m annual windfall that Erewash have given themselves could be beneficial. The biggest barrier to new stores opening up on Bath Street is the Rates payable, which are now higher than the rents the landlords charge.

We all want to see Ilkeston be vibrant again. Please reduce the rates to help the high street survive.