Sceptic, no need to ever say sorry for the length of any posting, it is throguh the length of your posts that others are able to see your passion in you r views and the town, well done. In regards to supermarkets motives, I think it would be fair to say that it is for profit and making there supermarkets grow BUT that is not to say they can not have a positive impact to where they are built if the planning is done correctly, this is a fair comment to make and this is hy there is so much talk going on about ASDA.
In terms of other issues with Exmouth, I can think of a few, they are not unique problems though. I could start of by saying lack of decent higher end jobs, lack of affordable housing (I should know, I am still looking for my first property!) but I also know we have a town council who do care what happens with our town, a town manager who has eyes on him from far and near for the innovative work he is doing and we are fortunate to live in one of the most beautiful areas in the world.
The A376 is, apparently, the busiest trunk road in the UK if what I hear is correct and during the holiday seasons and rush hours, it is not adequate but is all we got!
There is so much going in Exmouth also, community projects like BayFM, a real sense of community, a police force who I am proud off, we are all lucky and as said, nothing can be taken for granted.

sceptic wrote:
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The other point is that two hours parking will not give one much time for _link_ed shopping in the town ecven if it was likely that many would want to do so.

Very good point sceptic! (although, I'm a bit late with my response )

Referance ASDA I think our politicians should come clean and tell us the truth, 23,000sq ft was quoted by them but ASDA are quoting 45000sq metres thats three times the size of B&Q add a car park at least three times the size, so weres the room for everything else their proposing? People will travel from sidmouth cullopton tiverton honiton and every small village between the roads into exmouth are blocked already it will be total gridlock if they build in exmouth. Build it at sowton if they need to build one at all. The estuary land was given to eddc when emouth town council was abolished we now have our own town council agan so the land should be given back not sold of for the money to fund a new council office at Cranbrook. Also 50% of the funding for the swimming pool was given by the townspeople of exmouth, what right do eddc have in having it demolished. I say NO NO NO to asda until we get the TRUTH then we can decide on thr true facts. rabbit

Just an update on the Tesco plans for any of you who might be interested. I visited the store this morning(Sunday) and see that they have an information board about the proposed extension on display there. It shows their proposals and makes various comments. There is also a take away pamphlet which includes a "Have your say" section.
They are asking some broader questions including what the Exmouth Community needs and what facilities are lacking or need improving, and I find this particularly pleasing because I know thet the Exmouth Residents Association, of which I am a member, told Tesco researchers that they felt Tesco could and should do more for the town.
Whatever your feelings about the proposals I would encourage you to visit the store if only to collect a 'Have your Say' form and make your views, whatever they may be, known. Closing date for forms is 25th April.

Excellent, I will contact Tesco and see if they would like to post there views on the Exmouth Online forums.

I'll try to respond to your points in turn...

If you look at many of the Asda store buildings they usually have three sides that are just plain (usually white and looking like a sort of corrugated iron) walls, the Newton Abbot store is like that to a large extent. Like their American parent company Walmart stores, they are not striking architectural buildings, just great big sheds.
I realise they aren't the prettiest buildings in the world, but they can be disguised with trees, fencing, shrubery etc (although they will obviously take a while to grow)!

I have already mentioned the London Inn as an alternative, some have suggested a store on the KFC roundabout (not stretching from the estuary site though) indeed the Town council supported that idea, an improved Sommerfield would help
I thought the London Inn site had been rejected as it wasn't large enough? Not only that, if Asda were to build their store there then traffic throught the town centre would increase in more built areas. If Somerfield was improved, it may help, but unless it's enlarged dramatically and free parking in the town centre is offered I don't think it would entice many more people to go there.

There are many rumours that the Post Office is to be sold and that site could make a good store of a more suitable size.
I do hope these are just rumours - or at least that they will move the Post Office to another location in the town.

I was told that they did not expect to draw many more customers as there are not that many places to draw them from, but that they expected shopping to be a more plesant experience.

I don't believe that for one minute! The only way they would consider enlarging the store would be if they thought they could pay for it with larger turnover! It's the only thing that makes 'business sense'. If Tesco do expand and Asda is rejected again, I fear that even more people will shop 'out of town' rather than shop in the town centre due to the free parking and ease of getting the shopping to the car (another issue I have with Somerfield).

It begs the question though, if Tesco don't think there is enough extra business in the area where are Asda's customers going to be coming from?
I would have thought that the massive increase in new homes built in Exmouth over the last 10 years would warrant a second supermarket.

In an ideal world, I'd like to see Asda buy up the Rolle College site and rebuild the leisure centre there (there would be enough room for a decent sized leisure centre then, with parking) which would leave the view from the road over the Exe as it is (which, personally, I don't think it's that great when there are huge lorries & coaches parked there most of the time). I would like to see waterfront cafe's & retail outlets supporting the Estuary along the estuary side of Asda along with the watersports facility and forego the housing Asda have promised (there are more than enough flats being built along Salterton Road as it is - again, another issue I have with this town! How on earth was permission given without _object_ion to demolish 5-6 beautiful family homes in order to build more retirement flats? If anything should be build there, it should be affordable family accomodation)!