Southend News
planning officers to recommend Morrisons’ bid to shut down popular hair salon
8:00am Tuesday 7th February 2012
CAMPAIGNERS could lose their fight to save a hair salon from being taken over by Morrisons – despite more than 860 people backing them.
Planning officers at Southend Council have recommended councillors’ approve the superstore’s bid to close down neighbouring Simply Scissors, in Western Approaches, Eastwood, when they meet on Wednesday.
The verdict flies in the face of a campaign by the salon’s owner, Roy Leach, and surrounding residents to preserve the salon, which has been trading for more than 23 years.
Mark Flewitt, the Tory councillor who has led the fight, vowed to battle on.
He said: “This is not over yet. The officers may have recommended approval for the plans, but I will still be attending the meeting to speak on behalf of residents.
“This should not go through. The community does not want it.”
Morrisons, which took over the supermarket when it bought Safeway in 2003, owns the building in which Simply Scissors is based. As chief leaseholder, the company is responsible for negotiating sub-letting deals with Mr Leach and the owners of neighbouring health and beauty salon Kalma.
A third shop on the same site has been empty for some time.
Last month, Morrisons rev-ealed it wanted to use all three of the shops as a branded cafe for its customers and intended to terminate Mr Leach’s lease.
Encouraged by Mr Flewitt, hundreds of residents rallied around the salon and signed five separate petitions begging council chiefs to reject the supermarket’s plan.
However, Andrew Lewis, the council’s corporate director of enterprise, tourism and the environment, said there were no legal grounds on which to oppose the application.
He said: “Concerns have been raised by residents in relation to the closure of the local shops.
“This is not a material planning consideration and, moreover, there is no material change of use in the land.
“This a private issue between the leasee and the leaseholder.”
A spokesman for Morrisons added: “After listening to our customers’ feedback, we have submitted a plan to expand our store in Eastwood by adding a cafe with toilet facilities.”