A BID to expand an approved plan for a Sainsbury’s should be
approved, a council planning officer has said.
Click the headline or link below to read the rest of this story.
Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council’s planning committee is urged to approve the plan when it meets on Wednesday.
The firm wants to increase the 1,812sqm sales area of the Forest
Court scheme approved in 2011 to 2,276sqm, some 26
per cent larger. A 2,462sqm plan was rejected in 2010.
It put the smaller plan on hold because of economic
conditions but has pledged to start work within six months if the new scheme –
to add non-food goods by reconfiguring existing space - is approved. The
building size would not increase.
A council planning officer’s report recommends members
approve the plan.
It says: “It will regenerate a run-down ‘brownfield’ retail
development in the centre of Dorridge [and] provide a substantial number of new
jobs”.
It would cause no “severe harm” to road safety and extra
traffic would not “be harmful” it adds.
Some 31 people and a signature with more than 600 signatures
opposed the plan to the council with concerns about traffic.
But 33 letters of support were made to the council and Dorridge
& Hockley Heath councillor Ken Meeson said the “overwhelming” view of
people who contacted him was of support.
Resident Claire Price told the council: “This needs to get built
sooner rather than later.”
Michelle Gregory said the bricked-up Forest
Court is a “mess” adding: “Please can this be
approved so Sainsbury’s can get on with it!”
Mandy Cowan wrote: “I strongly support the proposal and look
forward to Sainsbury’s moving quickly to
restore our village back so it doesn’t look like an eyesore as it currently
does.”
But Matthew Walker said Sainsbury’s had “manipulated” the
planning process, saying “This store is now significantly bigger than the one
Sainsbury’s were granted permission to
build. It will be damaging to Dorridge.”
Anne Vanden Bosch said: “There is no way that Dorridge
residents can support a supermarket of the proposed size. The development will cause traffic congestion on
quiet residential roads and destroy the character of the village.”
Meanwhile, the council has approved a bid to extend delivery
hours at a new Sainsbury’s petrol station on Grange
Road to 6am
to 10pm Monday to Saturday and from 7am to 10pm
on Sunday.
This compares to 8am
to 6pm Monday to Saturday and no
deliveries on Sunday.
Click here to get stories by email.
