Sainsbury’s in Brentwood has been accused of letting its town centre supermarket go into “managed decline” after increasing frustration over the condition of the store.
Brentwood Council sent a letter to the supermarket chain at the beginning of the year, which relayed concerns from residents and shoppers about the store’s physical appearance.
These include the availability of lifts, regular leaks in the roof, the general upkeep of the store, the condition of the car park and external areas, as well as the lighting and signage outside.
The scrutiny, performance and standards committee highlighted that the fountain near Ongar Road has not been operational for several years and that the area around Millennium Walk, which provides access to the car park, requires tidying up and repair.
An issues with pigeon droppings around the entrance onto High Street was also mentioned.
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Residents had also raised with members that the noise of delivery lorries during unsociable hours had increased, and asked if the store could be mindful of noise and the time of day when scheduling deliveries.
Councillor Keith Barber, who said he no longer used the shop because of its decline in standards, told the September 26 committee meeting: “I find it hard to conclude anything other than Sainsbury’s is prepared to let this building go into managed decline.
“The fountains stopped working years ago. The lifts, not just one of them, but both of them, are out of order.
“I myself have had to push my trolley up the car ramp about five times, which is why I now don’t shop at Sainsbury’s.
“The water leaks through the ceiling, trailing pipes, draining water into buckets in the middle of the floor. That’s not acceptable for a major supermarket provider in a major town within this country.”
The store had been rated zero for food hygiene due to rat and mouse activity in the store.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) rating in April indicated that ‘urgent improvement’ was required, encompassing the preparation, cooking, reheating, cooling, and storage of food.
The store was re-scored as a 4 after an inspection a month later.
Councillor Barber added that more competition would be welcome. A new Lidl is being built in Brentwood.
He said: “The food hygiene failures which were reported in the press earlier this year were totally and utterly unacceptable.
“So to be honest with you, I do wish Sainsbury’s was under more competition within the borough.
“I would welcome a competitor to set up against Sainsbury’s.
“Not because I have anything against Sainsbury’s, but I do believe it appears that people are becoming complacent about the major supermarket in our town.
“And that’s wrong because some people can’t drive. They can’t get out of the borough to do shopping elsewhere. They don’t have that option, and they are left with poor services.”
He told Sainsbury’s representatives: “I hope you turn it around and I hope the improvements that were recently done to the lifts are a sign that you’re doing to the building and the services to the residents will be better, but at the moment I’m sorry you’re failing to deliver the proper service.”
Store manager Preeti Sandhu said a number of issues had been resolved or were in the process of being resolved, including the lifts and the roofing.
The fountain was being looked at by the property team.
She said she has not had complaints about the noise of deliveries in the six months she has been in post, after changes were made.
She added: “This is the first site that has a lot of challenges from customers and I absolutely understand that we are here to serve customers and we need to deliver that level of service.
“I apologise, we’re not delivering that, but we are working towards doing that day in and day out to try and improve.
“But we know that change doesn’t happen quickly, and to change your culture within a store team also takes time.
“I’m not saying that that’s an excuse, but that’s absolutely my forefront to make sure we put Brentwood back on the map in terms of making it the number one supermarket.
“But that’s going to come with lots of change, lots of disruption, lots of changes that’s going to happen.
“I’ve been here six months and I’ve made lots of changes within the store, whether that’s noted, I don’t know.
“I can see the level of availability is getting better, but it isn’t where it needs to be.
“But absolutely, we will do everything we can to deliver better for our customers.”
