Lidl shelves store plan on old pub site
SUPERMARKET SAY IT DIDN’T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO PREPARE FOR PLANNING MEETING
LIDL has dramatically withdrawn its planning application to build a new store on the former Spotted Cow pub site on New Hey Road.
PR company Pilgrim Communications, which acts for Lidl, said the company was unable to provide the necessary information demanded by Kirklees Council prior to a crunch planning committee meeting on March 31.
Pilgrim also said in a Facebook post yesterday that it “remains absolutely committed to building a new store on this site”.
A spokeswoman for Lidl GB said: “We can confirm that the planning application for a new store on New Hey Road in Huddersfield has been withdrawn.
“Our team has been working extremely hard to address a limited number of key technical and policy points raised by planning officers.
“However, less than a week ago, we were informed by the council that the application would be taken to planning committee on 31 March whilst additional work, requested by council officers, remained ongoing.
“Unfortunately, this does not provide sufficient time for this additional work to be concluded and issued to the council prior to the committee meeting.
“Lidl has, therefore, chosen to withdraw the application on this occasion before making a decision on our next steps.
“We would like to thank the hundreds of local people who have written to the council to show their support, the many hundreds more who have signed our online petition in support so far and the thousandplus residents who indicated their support for a new Lidl store on this site during our community consultation.”
But Kirklees councillor Cahal Burke, (Lib Dem, Salendine Nook), said: “I question Lidl’s commitment. It seems to be one delay after another.”
He claimed Lidl could have “easily” requested a postponement of the committee meeting to April 28 if it had wished.
He said it was frustrating for local residents who “get all of the housing and none of the services to go alongside them.”
The two main problems Lidl faced in persuading planners to grant permission at the Salendine Nook site were its impact on local stores and the fact that the site was earmarked for housing in the local plan.
This was its second attempt at building a store on the site. It lost out to Aldi in December 2019 when councillors opted instead for its proposals at New Hey Road, Oakes, in a quickfire shoot out.
Kirklees Council has approached for comment.
Lidl has chosen to
withdraw the application... before making a decision on
our next steps.
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