D-day looms for store plan
THIS is the first glimpse of how Littleborough’s new Lidl supermarket could look.
The artist’s impression of the proposed Stockton Street store has been submitted as part of a planning application which will be voted upon by councillors tonight (Wednesday).
If approved it will bring to and end a long-running supermarket planning saga on the site.
Lidl is the third supermarket chain to attempt to open a store on the land, the former site of Carlisle Interconnect Technologies off Church Street.
In 2014 Tesco was granted planning permission to open, but pulled out a few months later deciding a large supermarket in the area was “no longer appropriate”.
It came after a cam- paign against the plans dubbed ‘Keep Littleborough Local’ was launched.
The campaign included a 1,300-signature petition, which was presented to councillors on the planning committee.
The following year Aldi were granted planning permission for a store on the site, but didn’t go ahead with the development.
A report set to go before the planning and licensing committee tonight recommends the application is approved.
It states the store will create 40 new jobs and will not have a ‘significant adverse impact upon the vitality and viability of Littleborough’.
The report adds: “It is not considered that the proposal will have any significant adverse impact on existing, committed and planned public and private investment.
“Whilst the proposal will result in trade diversion away from existing stores, particularly the existing food stores in Littleborough and Littleborough town centre itself, it is not considered that this will give rise to significant adverse impact upon the vitality and viability of Littleborough town centre.
“Appropriate mitigation is proposed in relation to the impact on Littleborough as a whole, including provision of a signalised crossing on Church Street, improvement of public realm within the centre and provision of a car park management plan to encourage linked trips.”
But 23 members of the public have objected to the plans, saying Littleborough is already wellserved by supermarkets and raising concerns about increased traffic and the impact the new store will have on existing businesses.
Asda and Sainsbury’s have also objected to the plans, saying the traffic assessment carried out as part of the planning application is ‘deficient in a number of areas’ and ‘does not take into account a number of serious accidents that have occurred in the vicinity of the site’.
Planning officers have recommended the application is approved.