Will Sherford residents finally get the shops they've been promised?

Residents of a Devon new town that has been nine years in the making are growing increasingly frustrated by a lack of amenities, particularly shops. 

Sherford, on the eastern edge of Plymouth, began development in August 2015 and its new inhabitants were promised a vibrant community with a variety of facilities. 

However, despite ongoing construction and a growing population, the promise of shops remains unfulfilled.

Sherford was officially formed in 2015, though development was originally planned to start in 2007, with the first 300 homes intended for completion by 2009. 

The plan was refreshed in 2015 and today over 900 houses have been built, housing more than 2,900 residents.

The town's masterplan includes three primary schools, one secondary school, a leisure centre, a library, a youth centre, a health centre and a town centre filled with retail options. The first primary school opened in 2018 and sports facilities along with the Sherford Community Hub followed in 2021.

According to the town’s dedicated website, the vision for the town includes places to “drink and dine, shop and socialise, buy essentials and indulge in treats,” featuring both small independent and well-known shops, cafes and restaurants. 

Yet, nearly a decade into its development, there isn't a single grocery shop. The only amenity available is a small coffee shop next to the primary school.

ABOVE: The fake shops on Hercules Road have been up at least since 2019

Many residents have taken to the Residents of Sherford Facebook group to express their frustration at the lack of amenities. 

One Facebook user said: “Having to drive to get milk is a joke! I came from a very small town and I could walk across the road to a shop! I'm in the city and have to drive to one.”

Another user commented: “Residents should put billboards up in their gardens on Hercules Road with #noshops #nosportscenter, etc., putting off all new buyers, and then see how quickly they start communicating with residents.”

A different user proposed: “I'd be interested in attending a residents meeting (no management) to draw up an action plan to focus the developers' attention.”

Adding to the residents' discontent, the announcement of a new state-of-the-art care home has sparked further debate. 

While some welcome the new facility, many residents feel that shops and more immediate amenities should take priority. 

Social media comments reflect this sentiment. 

One resident posted: “Maybe put in a shop for everyone before you put in a care home.” Another added: “Prefer a pub to be honest,” and a third queried: “Is this a joke when there isn't a shop or doctors nearby?”

The Moorlander contacted the Sherford Land Trust, an organisation responsible for acting in the fledgling community’s interest. 

According to their public meeting minutes from May 2024, they mentioned that a temporary shop had been installed and powered, with an opening initially targeted for mid-June. 

Now, at the end of July, residents are still waiting.

ABOVE: The new convenience store is still unopened 

The Moorlander reached out to the Sherford Land Trust and received information about the development, but was instructed to keep the details off the record.

Ely Leyshon, a resident of Sherford told The Moorlander: “Sherford as it currently is, in my opinion, is a scam through and through. I've lived here since 2020 and in that time the level of progress that's been made is pathetic, they've maybe ‘completed’ works on the skate park/park area and a tiny bit on the country park but nothing that was a major selling point to me has even been started on as far as I'm aware. 

“When I first moved in I expressed interest in an allotment and was told ‘thanks for expressing an interest’ and that was the end of it, I chased them up about it recently because I started feeling annoyed that they hadn't talked about the allotments in four years and I got told ‘Sherford is a growing town, so to make sure the process of securing a plot is fair to both current and future residents, a new registration system will be announced when the first allotments are set to open. At this point, decisions will be made on how the allotments will be managed, how plots will be allocated, and how to register interest - and this will be communicated to the community’.

“I emailed them to try and get ANY information about anything and they just either ignored my email and didn't reply (until I sent another follow-up email) or they would ignore the question I had asked. I contacted the official email provided by the sherford website, and if they can't or don't want to answer your questions they'll just direct you back to the website which has the most useless updates that just essentially end up telling you ‘yep, we're working on things’ without providing specifics. 

“When I searched for information about the leisure centre, I found one mention of it on Plymouth Live and how it's expected to be completed by the end of 2024 and another ‘update’ article from the Sherford site itself titled ‘Update on Sherford's Leisure Facilities’ in which all they do is basically tell you they're planning it and that's it."

“It's been four years for me and six years for others, and we still have no pavement on the cut-through to Elburton from Gemini Road despite it being a very high-traffic area.

“The pavements are stupidly wide, people park on roundabouts, they allow unfinished roads to be driven on which has caused damage to the cars of multiple residents, there's a community hub that if you're not on any Facebook group you wouldn't even know it exists, sometimes they have meetings there but who knows when that is because they don't tell you.

“Nobody knows who to contact with questions, sure maybe they'll direct you to the info@sherford.co.uk but as I stated previously they'll just give you very political nothing answers that say "when we know more we'll update the community" only they don't say how they'll update the community at all.

“I keep hearing from people that live in other areas that if enough interest is expressed in an allotment then legally the council have to provide one, Sherford tells you nothing of how much interest is required or how to even express that interest or even how to ask questions about that interest.

“I've been here four years and there are no shops, no doctors offices, no dentist and nobody I speak to knows who even runs everything, they sell you on a (currently) objective lie and make false promises and nobody knows who these people even are so nobody gets the blame and then they just build more houses.”

ABOVE: Signage that has been up for at least five years tells you that amenities and shops are "coming soon"

Forty-three miles away, near Exeter, another new town called Cranbrook offers a stark contrast. 

Building in Cranbrook started slightly earlier in 2011, and the town already boasts a Co-op shop and various other retail options. 

Cranbrook railway station, on the Exeter–Waterloo line, opened in 2015, significantly enhancing connectivity and convenience for its residents.

While the recent off record statements from the Sherford Land Trust offer some hope, the community's patience is wearing thin. 

Member of Parliament for South West Devon, Rebecca Smith, said: "Having spent time in Sherford in recent weeks and months, I know how much local shops and services are needed by the community.

"A suite of local amenities have been promised such as a GP surgery, local shop and leisure centre / swimming pool, and the lack of delivery is causing significant issues for the local community.

"I will be meeting with both the Sherford Consortium and local Planning teams to raise resident’s concerns shortly and will ensure the concerns of residents are addressed and ascertain a timetable for the development of these promised services."

Supermarket chain Iceland, has confirmed to The Moorlander that: “There are currently no plans on the horizon to open a store in Sherford.”

Tesco explained that they are always looking for new Tesco Express sites to serve local communities, however, they have no current plans to open a store in Sherford. 

Waitrose also confirmed that they do not have any plans to open a store in Sherford. 

However, Aldi said: “We are always considering new locations for stores across the UK, including in Sherford. If and when we have confirmed a location, we will update the community.”

Lidl also stated: “Whilst there are currently no firm plans in place to deliver a store, Sherford remains on our Site Requirement list and our teams are continuing to look for a suitable location in the area.”

A local resident who does not wish to be named told The Moorlander: “We moved to Sherford just shy of three months ago with good word from Taylor Wimpey that a shop and leisure centre will be coming this year at some point, and still, there is no sign of works taking place across the town. It is crying out for a place for locals to grab essentials, or go to an exercise class, or even eat out at a restaurant. The ‘convenience shop’ is a poor excuse of pasting over the cracks. Sherford is in desperate need of a few amenities, it has the potential to become an extremely attractive part of the South Hams and Plymouth area.”