Why are Sainsbury's so set on flood-prone Southampton Road?

I FANCIED I could hear that ominous dun-dun-dun-dun theme tune from Jaws as I stared into the floodwater alongside Southampton Road on Sunday.
For something scary is stirring in its murky, slimy depths.
And no, it’s not a gigantic new species of man-eating newt.
It’s Sainsbury’s, back in response to absolutely no public demand at all with the next phase of its plans for a superstore-on-stilts and petrol station alongside the Tesco roundabout.
The company is asking Wiltshire Council what information it needs to supply about the environmental impact of this enormous building project on an unspoiled natural space that acts as flood plain and wildlife refuge and gives motorists entering our city a lovely green view across to the cathedral.
Well, I think that last sentence just about says it, really. What more do they need to know?
If the comments on the Journal website and public responses to Sainsbury’s previous (withdrawn) planning application are anything to go by, this is not just an unwanted scheme, but a massively unpopular one.
Wiltshire’s spatial planners’ report last time round made the point unequivocally. This site is “not appropriate for development of any kind,” it said. “This land should remain undeveloped.”
Presumably when reading this, Sainsbury’s bosses collectively put their fingers in their ears and chanted: “La, la, can’t hear you.”
People have asked them why they don’t look for a site north or west of the city, where I’m sure the occupants of all the new houses under construction would love to ‘shop local’, but they won’t answer. Why not? Have their rivals snapped up all the options?
Anyway, I hope that our local councillors have availed themselves of the perfect opportunity provided by our dreadful weather to inspect the sodden site and to assess its suitability or otherwise for themselves.
However, I think it unlikely that the ultimate decision on an issue of this importance will be left up to Wiltshire’s southern area planning committee.
In all probability it will go to higher authority – the strategic planning committee, which, to be fair, does have one Salisbury representative among its permanent members.
In the meantime it’s reassuring to hear that the council is going to introduce a byelaw – quite rightly – threatening anglers with prosecution if they damage river banks or impede the flow of water.
The reason? To “reduce flooding and protect watercourses”.
I suppose every tiddler helps.