Store switch may hit creche

Safeway withdrew an application to change its Victoria Road site into a superstore last week because Darlington Borough Council planning officers recommended rejection of the scheme.

The original proposals were unpopular because they were outside the town centre boundaries.

But as the company goes back into negotiation with council officers over an alternative plan, staff and users of the store's creche have been told it could make way for extra sales space.

A 30-day consultation period is under way, but some parents say the creche is what keeps them going back to Safeway and makes it stand out from its rivals in and around the town.

The store was among the first to install a creche when it opened in 1995, with a security system featuring electronic tags and cameras to ensure youngsters' safety.

Such moves even saw the chain win the Prima Supermarket Award for mother and baby facilities. But if the creche goes, it will not be the first such move. In January, Safeway closed the creche at its Redcar supermarket as part of a redevelopment.

Among those objecting is Frances Griss, from the West End of Darlington, who has two children and has been using the creche for three-and-a-half years, since her son, Michael, was old enough to be left there.

She said: "It is a terrific advantage, not having to have little children shouting 'I want, I want, I want' when you are trying to do your shopping. It makes Safeway different from other supermarkets."

She said five-year-old Michael and his sister, Laura, three, had developed relationships with staff at the creche.

"If they were to close it, it would demonstrate that they don't really have a commitment to young families," she said.

Safeway said last night that no decision had been made and that staff were being consulted on the proposals, while discussions were continuing about the best possible use of the space if the company decided to close the creche