Agenda item

The Committee will be requested to consider an application for planning permission, details of which are set out in the accompanying report.

The Committee considered application 14/0608 for the erection of single storey retail food store (Use Class A1) with main pedestrian access from the Blackpool Retail Park, creation of vehicular access through from the Blackpool Retail Park to the Squires Gate Lane Industrial Estate, creation of 44 car parking spaces and associated servicing area and landscaping, following demolition of existing buildings.

Mr Johnston, Head of Development Management presented the Committee with a brief outline of the application and the site location plan.  He explained that the site was within a designated industrial area and also fell within the proposed Enterprise Zone which was due to come into effect in January 2016.  Mr Johnston referred to the relevant sections of the current Local Plan and emerging Core Strategy and reported on how the proposed application represented a departure from the employment land policies.  Mr Johnston reported on the key planning issues which included the loss of employment land and the appropriateness of the location for a retail development. Mr Johnston advised Members that the majority of the highway concerns had been addressed and that the number of car parking spaces was considered sufficient on the expectation that car parking spaces would be shared with adjacent retail park.  Mr Johnston clarified that the applicant’s agent had confirmed that the number of jobs expected as a result of the proposed development would be 40 which was a reduction in the number originally reported.

Mr Johnston referred to the Update Note and additional information that had been circulated to Members after the agenda had been published.  He also reported on supplementary representation received from Hollis Vincent, on behalf of the Baxter Group Ltd, an objector to the proposal, following publication of the Update Note and additional information. 

Mr Johnston advised Members that the recommendation to defer for delegation to the Head of Development Management was due to the fact that there remained outstanding matters which still needed to be addressed. The matters related to the applicant being able to satisfactorily demonstrate that the current Booths Store on Highfield Road did not represent a sequentially more preferable site and that there would be no cumulative impact from the proposed store and the one on the former Westgate House site on the Local and District Centres in the southern part of Blackpool.  Mr Johnston accepted that information had been submitted in relation to the cumulative impact on the Town Centre.

Mr Pinkus spoke in objection to the application. 

Mr Sobic, the applicant’s agent and Mr Isherwood from Aldi spoke in support of the application.

Responding to questions from the Committee, Mr Johnston clarified that the application included a plan to open up an additional access route into the retail park which was expected to ease the pressure on the junctions with Squires Gate Lane and Amy Johnson Way and that this had contributed in part to the Head of Transportation having no objection to the application. 

During initial consideration of the application the Members agreed that more information was needed on the outstanding matters prior to a decision being taken on the application.

Resolved: That the application be deferred to the next meeting on 8^th September 2015 to enable further information to be received relating to the sequential test, in particular in relation to the Booths store on Highfield Road and the cumulative impact on the Local and District centres in the Southern part of Blackpool.

Background papers: Applications, plans and replies to consultations upon the applications.