| Skip Navigation | Home | About the Society | 30 Years of Success | Annual Report | Fishermen's Heritage Centre | The Peter Coke Shell Gallery, Sheringham, Norfolk | Current Issues | Current Projects | Programme of Events 2011 | Find Us | Contact Us | Join Us | Links |

Current Issues

Keeping Sheringham's Retail Heart Alive

The Society was engaged in a struggle lasting many years to oppose the building of a Tesco store on the Cromer Road near the main entrance to the commercial area of Sheringham. This struggle attracted national attention because of its protracted nature, the complexity of the issues involved, the role of planning officers in the process and the strength of feeling it aroused. For many years councillors on the local planning committee gave overwhelming support to this campaign, despite their planning officers persistently and forcefully recommending the opposite, i.e. acceptance of the Tesco scheme, and in 2008 a government planning inspector rejected Tesco's appeal against the council's refusal of permission.

In early 2009 a local business-man came up with an imaginative rival scheme which would have involved the building of a Waitrose store further from the town centre than Tesco's but with added community benefits. In March 2010 the rival scheme was accepted by the planning committee and the Tesco scheme again rejected, but with council officers investigating complaints about the conduct of councillors opposing the Tesco scheme (all of which were eventually found to be groundless) ratification of the decision was delayed. Eventually with Tesco supporters in Sheringham becoming more and more vocal, the Town Council called a referendum which showed the population almost evenly split between the two schemes but at the same time appearing to confirm that there was overwhelming support for a larger food store in the town than those already there.

At this point the then leadership of the district council appeared to resolve to settle the issue and reconstituted its planning committee with a chairman who had previously expressed support for the Tesco scheme. Even after this, the Tesco application was only approved by the narrowest of margins with the chairman using his casting vote and the vote of the previous committee apparently being set aside. The issue was then referred by a number of residents unhappy with the outcome to the local government ombudsman, who ruled that the council had not exceeded its powers.

Before the Tesco store can be built, a new fire station and a new community centre must be constructed so that the existing structures can be demolished to make way for the Tesco store. It is unlikely that the store will be finished much before the end of 2012.

As in other towns, Sheringham's small independent shops are facing severe pressures from many different causes. Business rates, rents, car parking charges and the consequences of the banking crisis (which began in 2008 and have limited household spending power) are often cited. There are, in 2011, relatively few empty commercial premises in the town, which supports a high proportion of visitor-oriented outlets especially at the seaward end of the High Street. The number of charity shops has, however, increased markedly since 2009, two bank branches (Lloyds and HSBC) have closed since 2005 and as elsewhere the margin between success and failure is finely balanced. For a town of its size, we have an unusually large number of uncooked food outlets (general groceries, butchers, bakers, greengrocers and fish shops). These are likely to come under threat from a large one-stop shop on the edge of the commercial area. The Society will be keeping a close watch on the effect the new supermarket has on these businesses when it opens and will campaign for any measures which will help to keep the commercial centre of the town vibrant.

SHERINGHAM PLUS AND ITS SUCCESSOR, THE UPCHER PARTNERSHIP

Following the use of funds from Europe and elsewhere in a regeneration programme in Cromer, a similar process took place in Sheringham. This provided the opportunity for valuable initiatives to be funded. The Preservation Society, as a body and through individual members, participated in this process.

The largest project to be completed was the renovation of Oddfellows Hall on Lifeboat Plain, originally built to house Sheringham's first RNLI lifeboat, the Duncan. This building has been transformed after many years of being unused to become an attractive community facility consisting of meetings rooms and exhibition space. The Sheringham Trails (walks through Beeston Common, Sheringham Park and along the Coast Path) were promoted and the town-centre Heritage Trail was launched. The Preservation Society supplied the blue plaques which accompany this trail. An initiative called "Experience Sheringham" is also promoting the town, and "What's On" and "Where to Stay" publications have been produced.

Funding for Sheringham Plus ran out at the end of 2008. A new community partnership taking in parishes neighbouring Sheringham is now in being. This is called the Upcher Area Partnership. The Preservation Society looks forward to working with this body to enhance the town and its surroundings.

The Upcher Community Partnership website carries further information and can be reached at http://www.sheringhamplus.co.uk.

Experience Sheringham is at www.experiencesheringham.co.uk.