ASDA, as part of Walmart, has a very clear mission statement that promises not only to look after its staff and customers but also the community and the area surrounding its stores.
Why, then, is it determined to move its Darlington store petrol station across its car park so that it is within spitting distance of houses and a school. The move will also disrupt the flow of traffic and make a very unsafe area for pedestrians, the majority of whom are schoolchildren and the elderly.
The planning application was unsurprisingly turned down unanimously last November, thank goodness, as it was a recipe for disaster. But now the company has filed an appeal.
The local community has repeatedly requested talks with ASDA to try and reach a compromise. Not once has the store acknowledged our concerns or opposition to this lunacy.
So, forget the mission statement, ASDA's agenda appears quite clear.
It will have its way at any cost.
Beverley Hutchinson, Whinfield, Darlington.
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