Firstly is the area big enough for a supermarket, bearing in mind it requires a car park? It could easily be big enough for the actual supermarket, but a car park may not be able to fit in with it. Another problem with this location is that the road connecting to the supermarket isn’t particularly large, and so traffic would be congestive, especially with the large supply lorries. Also Cowbridge is a town renowned for its small businesses and so the supermarket would distort this image.
It would be very hard, and expensive for the brownfield cattle market to be turned into a supermarket, because it would need clearing out as well as needing electricity and running water to be fitted. It would also limit later expansion should the company want to develop later on.
On the better side cowbridge would benefit from a supermarket because its nearest supermarket is the tesco in Bridgend, and its smaller shops havnt got such a high quality, or wide range of goods. There is a high population density in Cowbridge so there would be a large demand in the area, and labour would not be short. The only problem with is that there is quite a high wage expectation in this area, but still that would mean Waitrose could sell for high prices.
Cowbridges economy would definitely be boosted by the supermarket’s presence. If the shop makes lots of profit it will order more from the surrounding businesses and pay higher wages. If this happens the businesses and workers will spend more in the town and thus all its other businesses will benefit and pay the council tax and so cowbridge will become significantly richer. House prices will then go up and so the estate agents will profit more and again Cowbridge will become much richer.
The final verdict may take quite a long time to reach, and so there will not be a supermarket for quite some time. The best way for the council to decide would most likely be to ask the Cowbridge residents to vote, or fill out a questionnaire.
There are many contrasting viewpoints and factors which must be considered in this gruelling task, and so the council will meet time after time to attempt to discuss and decide what the better option would be.
