Sainsbury's reveal giant store plans for Ashton Gate

Well the first news is out on Sainsbury’s proposed store for Ashton Gate. And it’s a whopper! At 9,000 sq metres it is far bigger than its current store and Tesco’s previous proposal for the Gate. There will be a public exhibition at Sainsbury’s Winterstoke Road store and also at the Southville Centre between 22-24 January 2010. Read more on the Evening Post’s website.

So we now know that the Council’s planers had recommended refusal of the Tesco’s proposal, so is this even bigger tin shed doomed to fail? On the face of it the answer seems to be yes. So is Sainsbury wasting its money? Well it wins either way. If the store gets approved it ends up with its biggest shop in the South West. If the planning application fails its wasted some money, but has kept Tesco out of its patch. Perhaps a price worth paying in the long run. No to Tesco 2009, no to Sainsbury 2010? Let’s wait and see what the New Year brings.