THERE were wildly different reactions to this week's news that retail giant Sainsbury's had pulled the plug on its bid to build a new store in Dorking town centre.
The company revealed late on Friday that its three-year bid to develop the area behind the St Martin's Walk shopping arcade – meaning the demolition of flats in Church Gardens and the recently opened Malthouse youth centre – had been withdrawn.
A company spokesman told the Advertiser: "Mole Valley District Council and Sainsbury's have been in discussion with the other landowners, Surrey County Council and Mole Valley Housing Association, and have regretfully concluded that, despite the best efforts of all concerned, a viable scheme cannot be delivered on the proposed site.
"We are deeply disappointed at this outcome but want to reassure our customers that we will continue to give them the best possible service from our existing High Street store while we look for wider solutions to bring a new Sainsbury's store to Dorking."
John Northcott, the district council's planning portfolio holder, was similarly downbeat.
He said: "It is very disappointing that this particular proposal cannot be developed, but the council remains fully committed to improving supermarket provision in that part of the town."
Sainsbury's had outlined plans for a 3,250 sq m store on the site – identified in the council's Area Action Plan as a "primary shopping area" – but never submitted a formal planning application.
News of the scheme's withdrawal was greeted with jubilation by St Martin's Walk cafe owner Ashley Baker, who last year collected a 1,200-signature petition in opposition.
"It's great news for Dorking," he said. "They were doing this not for the benefit of Dorking, but just for a company to make lots of money.
"If they had looked at the facts, they would have seen it was not really possible unless there was a relief road. They were going to destroy the town by trying to get something in there that plainly wasn't going to work."
See page 11 for the latest on Tesco's plans to build stores in Dorking and Ashtead.