Cyngor Bro Morgannwg
Vale of Glamorgan Council

My main concern is for the survival of the town of Llantwit Major and its small owner-managed shops, Post Office, chemists, charity shops, hairdressers, etc. And to some extent existing supermarkets. I am also concerned about maintaining green spaces and conservation areas as per the adopted Management Plan.

Building an ‘out of town’ supermarket will significantly and detrimentally affect footfall to the town centre — people who use the current town centre retail and hospitality opportunities simply will not visit as they will be parked away from them and will not return. The town will slowly die. Shops and other premises will be boarded up. Livelihoods will be lost.

Time-and-again we have seen many towns across Wales and the rest of the UK suffer. Simple desk-based research will reveal many.

Taking one town as an example — Chepstow. Tesco built a supermarket about 150 metres from Chepstow high street across a main road — not dissimilar to the situation in Llantwit Major / Llanmaes. Few visit Chepstow high street so the town itself is dying. Shops and other premises have closed, remaining empty for years — and at a time when retail outlets are increasingly under pressure from on-line shopping.

The council and planners must do everything it can to ensure that Llantwit Major remains a vibrant and varying environment for generations to come — providing employment and facilities for all to enjoy.

Building out-of-town will destroy the community of Llantwit Major for ever.