Planners oppose latest Lidl bid for Newport
The long-running supermarket saga in Newport has taken another twist – with Telford planners opposing the idea of a Lidl store coming to the outskirts of the town.
The plan has been put forward by the owner of Mere Park Garden Centre, David Brierley, through his company Growing Enterprises Ltd. It follows an unsuccessful application last year.
Mr Brierley wants to build a branch of the discount supermarket next to the garden centre.
The supermarket could take over the garden centre using existing planning permission, but Mr Brierley said the German chain preferred to build a brand new store – which would create more jobs.
A first application was scrapped by planners last year because of concerns over a lack of transport and the development of a greenfield site.
Submitting the fresh application last October, Mr Brierley said he believed the applicants had listened to the reasons for the original refusal and acted on them.
But in the report going before Telford & Wrekin councillors next week, planning officer Gareth Thomas has recommended the application be refused for a second time.
He said access for public transport to the site was not sufficient for a food store, the development would "unnecessarily" extend into the countryside and would be built on a greenfield site.
The report says: "Taking all factors into account and applying planning balance, officers do not consider there are material considerations that should outweigh the site's poor accessibility."
Today Mr Brierley hinted that if the application was not approved, a potentially costly appeal would go ahead over the decision to refuse the first application.
He said: "It would be a shame if it was not approved.
"We are working hard to resolve any issues and we are doing our utmost to make sure the council does not waste even more money with the appeal which has already been booked with the Planning Inspectorate for the previous application."
Patrick Beech, chairman of Newport Chamber of Commerce, who has previously supported the application for a Lidl in the town, added: "We would welcome Lidl.
"We have got Aldi opening in August. As we increase our population by about 1,000 houses being built so there are more families we want to keep it in the town."
