Supermarkets, locals in hotel row

Supermarket giants Coles and Woolworths have clashed with residents over development plans for two popular local hotels.

The heritage-listed Captain Stirling Hotel. Picture: Sandra Jackson/The West Australian

In Riverton, residents have started a campaign against plans to demolish the High Road Hotel and replace it with a bottle shop and Coles supermarket.

In Nedlands, the council is poised to knock back the second request in two years to rezone land around heritage-listed Captain Stirling Hotel to allow a residential and retail development likely to include a Woolworths supermarket.

Opponents believe the proposed developments are bad for the areas and not wanted by the community. The supermarkets, which own the land, say they have consulted and believe the public appetite is there.

State Treasurer and Riverton MLA Mike Nahan has weighed into the battle to save the High Road Hotel. He has written to Coles senior management to ask for a rethink of its plan, which has been approved by a development assessment panel.

"This is a community pub, people walk from all around the neighbourhood to the place," he said. "It's a very vibrant place."

Campaigner Natalie Scagliotta said the hotel had been part of the community for 50 years and was an important venue for the local music scene.

She said locals were angry because Coles had planned to redevelop part of the pub but changed its mind. "Communities are not defined by their shopping centres," Ms Scagliotta said.

A City of Nedlands council meeting will consider Woolworths' rezoning request this month. Residents group Ned Saver has campaigned strongly against the Woolworths plan and the rezoning.

Nedlands mayor Max Hipkins said his main concern was traffic implications.

It was also hard to justify another commercial centre so close to Claremont and Subiaco, "both with many vacant shops".

A Woolworths spokeswoman said the group had revised its initial plans for the Captain Stirling site, which had included a bottle shop, because of community feedback and believed there was demand for a "convenient, accessible, full-range supermarket in the area".

Source : The West Australian   Kate Emery     December 7th 2014