New Sainsbury's supermarket 'Will not create more jobs' in Saffron Walden, says campaign group

A NEW Sainsbury's supermarket in Saffron Walden will not create more jobs in the town, a campaign group has said.

Save Walden Town Centre has rejected one of the most persuasive arguments for building a new store - that it will boost employment in the area.

Campaign spokesman, Paul Gadd, said: "Sainsbury's are claiming that their proposed new store would create 350 new jobs.

"What they don't say, however, is where these jobs will come from, and how many existing local jobs will be destroyed in the process.

"They are also keeping quiet about the fact that 70 per cent of these jobs would be part time so the real number of full time equivalent staff is likely to be around 200.

"The key employment issue is that supermarkets don't manufacture or create anything - they can't therefore create wealth or create jobs without someone else paying for them.

"At an estimated annual turnover of �40m, the new Sainsbury's store would require local residents to spend some �200,000 a year for each job.

"There is no reason to suppose that local residents will suddenly start spending much more money or that many people will come from miles away to the new store. The vast majority of the estimated �40m turnover for a new Sainsbury's would therefore be diverted from Waitrose, Tesco and town centre shops as well as from stores in Thaxted and other nearby towns and villages, who will all have to reduce employment accordingly.

"The effect of an enlarged Tesco would be exactly the same."

He added: "It has been estimated that only about seven per cent of a supermarket's turnover is returned to the local economy through employee wages.

"In contrast, it has been estimated that up to 50 per cent of the turnover of a local business or shop is recycled back into the local economy."

For further information on the campaign see the www.savewaldentowncentre.org website.