Hallam residents Ann Benning and Martin Martens have urged the community to attend a public meeting to discuss plans to build a Bi-Lo supermarket at the Spring Square shopping precinct.
By Rebecca Fraser
HALLAM residents have been urged to support local traders and attend a public meeting about the proposed development of a Bi-Lo supermarket at the Spring Square shopping strip.
The controversial proposal has attracted a lot of community attention.
Hallam resident Ann Benning said this would be the last chance for people to have a say before council voted on the plan in April.
Ms Benning moved to Hallam in 1992 and said she was keen to make sure that local traders and businesses were supported and would not be disadvantaged if council approved the proposal.
She said she feared a large supermarket would drive individual businesses out and wanted to make sure that the community’s interests were being considered.
Ms Benning said residents at the public meeting would also elect a new Hallam community committee that would try and help boost trade and liven up Spring Square.
“I am all for supporting local traders and businesses.
“The meeting will help get ideas and ways to support local traders and inject some interest into Spring Square.
“It does not have a lot going for it at the moment and we all need to get together and pull our sleeves up and throw some ideas around.
“I don’t want to object to big business coming in but we need to work together and support the traders and come up with some ideas and compromises.
“I know we cannot block out new business interests so this would be an opportunity to discuss the proposal and come up with some other ideas,” she said.
Ms Benning said many residents and traders were frustrated by the last public meeting about the proposal.
She said longstanding issues were not dealt with at the meeting and residents felt their questions were left unanswered.
“We can all work together to achieve our goals and listen to everyone’s concerns and what the community wants.
“If people cannot attend the meeting and still want to make sure their opinion counts they can phone or send a fax through to the Hallam Senior Citizens,” she said.
Hallam Senior Citizens president Martin Martens said some residents had suggested moving the proposed development to the other side of the playground.
He said this would be a good opportunity to share some alternatives and other ideas and encouraged people to attend.
Mr Martens has lived in Hallam since 1971.
He believes the current proposal will create traffic headaches and said there may be more suitable land sites for a Bi-Lo in Hallam than Spring Square.
He said comments made by the manager of the Food Works supermarket at Spring Square, Darren McInroy, in last week’s News highlighted the need for the community to get behind local business.
The meeting will be held from 7pm to 8.30pm at the Hallam Senior Citizens Centre at Spring Square at the intersection of Princes Domain Drive and Princes Highway, Hallam.
To send a fax or to call, contact the Seniors Centre on 9703 1165.
