Villagers hit out at plans for new Lidl on playing field
PEOPLE living in and around Larkhall in Bath have spoken out against plans to build a new supermarket nearby.
Last month news broke that Bath Rugby had exchanged contracts on part of their land at Lambridge, on London Road, with Lidl GB. It also permanently transferred the training pitches and clubhouse to Bath RFC, securing the amateur club’s long-term future there.
Plans for the new store, which will be Lidl’s second in Bath, will be shared with the public before a planning application is submitted to B&NES Council.
However, many locals are against the scheme and they staged a protest last Thursday, November 17 to explain why.
Luke Rich runs the Larkhall Farm Shop on St Saviours Road, just 350 yards from the potential new Lidl site.
He said: “London Road is one of the busiest in Bath. This junction during rush hour is an absolute nightmare. We don’t need any extra traffic here and there is a supermarket just half a mile away, which people can go to if that’s what they need. I also think it will affect footfall for local businesses in Larkhall.”
His neighbour, Peter Milton of Larkhall Butchers, said the effect of a new supermarket on existing shops “could only be negative”. He added: “At a time when the council is trying to encourage shopping locally and using your local shops, it can only have a damaging effect on those traders.
“Fortunately from the meat side, I don’t see it being too much of a problem for me, but for the village as a whole, there’ll be fewer people going in there and not just for food. Often people will stop in Larkhall for some meat, some veg, a baguette or two, and they’ll go and pick up some other bits from the hardware shop.”
Andy Lamont, owner of Goodies Delicatessen, also on St Saviours Road, raised concerns about the extra cars Lidl would draw to London Road.
He said: “Just standing here for half an hour, you realise what an incredible volume of traffic there is. The council is trying to promote a green agenda and saying that we should be walking and cycling and clearly this development is not aimed at walkers or cyclists. This is aimed at car drivers and that will create extra congestion in an area where pollution levels are already too high. So it’s a bad idea on so many levels.”
His sentiments were echoed by Joanna Wright, the Green councillor for Lambridge. She said the new store could disrupt the existing bus lane on London Road, which is “vital” to getting people into Bath.
“If you take this entrance out, you lose the fast bus lane and that has massive implications for people getting in and out of the city. If we really believe in sustainable transport we need to keep the fast bus lane.”
Ms Wright added that building a supermarket on the greenfield site would mean losing one of the few recreation spaces in the east of Bath. Wildlife living along the River Avon would also be disrupted, she said.
“This is not the right site for it,” she said. “It doesn’t support our independent community of shops, it doesn’t support the two supermarkets that we do have – the Co-op and the Morrisons – so how is this going to give us something more?”
A petition calling on Bath Rugby to rethink its exchange with Lidl GB has been launched.
In response to the petition, a Lidl GB spokesman said: “We were naturally disappointed to learn of the petition. As a discount supermarket, we exist to provide households with access to good food at affordable prices. As the cost-of-living crisis deepens, and with increasing demand in Bath, this is more important now than ever before.
“The store will be designed to the highest standard incorporating sustainable features such as electric vehicle rapid charging facilities and an extensive green roof. The site will also benefit from significant landscaping and new tree planting.
“Along with the creation of new jobs for the local community, our plans will also help to facilitate funding opportunities for the amateur club, helping to revitalise the facilities and have secured the long-term future of Bath RFC at Lambridge.
“Our teams will soon be closely consulting with both local businesses and the wider community, to provide the opportunity for feedback ahead of plans being submitted. The planning application will also be supported by a number of reports, including landscape, arboriculture, ecology, retail and transport impact, which will be rigorously assessed by Bath and North East Somerset Council.”