Government will not block retail park plan

BIANCA MURRAY

AMAJOR potential hurdle has been removed to controversial plans to build a out of town retail development.

The Government has decided not to intervene in a planning application to site a retail park off Swanney Lodge Road in Rawtenstall including a supermarket, frozen food store, discount store and a restaurant or refreshment unit.

Instead the Ropemaker Properties application will be referred back to Rossendale council to be decided at local level.

The £8.5 million plan to expand Rossendale out of town shopping was brought before the council’s development control committee in August.

Members voted to approve the application, overruling objections from some traders and civic groups.

Rawtenstall Chamber of Commerce and Rossendale Civic Trust were among those who objected to the plans, claiming the development would compete with Rawtenstall town centre and there was no bus service and poor pedestrian access to the site.

Following the Government’s decision David Gould, president of the Rawtenstall Chamber of Commerce, told the Free Press: “I don’t know if there will be any further discussion about it or if there’s anything that we can do about it now.

“If there is an opportunity to appeal, I suspect there will be more than just the Chamber of Commerce.”

The proposal will see three new retail units and a restaurant or refreshment unit build on previously developed land, creating 100 jobs.

Aldi has already been confirmed as a potential tenant, which would make it the fifth supermarket in Rawtenstall alongside Asda, Tesco, Marks and Spencer Simply Food and Lidl. The application had to be referred to the Secretary of State as the proposed development constituted an out of centre location and proposed new development of 2,500 square metres or more.

A spokesperson for Rossendale Borough Council said: “We received an acknowledgement on September 7 and confirmation September 15 that the Secretary of State would not be calling in the application.

“As such the Secretary of State is content that the application should be determined by the local planning authority.”

The decision will now be referred back to Rossendale council’s development control committee. ●● An artist’s impression of the proposed new development on Swanney Lodge Road in Rawtenstall