By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter
Plans for a new Lidl on the outskirts of Gloucester have been given the go-ahead.
Borough planners have today (April 21) backed the proposals for a new supermarket on a northern plot at Gloucester Business Park in Brockworth.
The scheme includes a 1,975 sqm store and will have 118 car parking spaces including 12 parent and child spaces and seven accessible parking bays along with six electric vehicle bays and cycle parking.
The new store is expected to create up to 40 new jobs and the proposed opening hours would be from 7am to 10pm Monday to Saturday and from 10am to 4pm on Sundays.
Rosie Meehan, regional head of property for Lidl Great Britain, called on Tewkesbury Borough Council’s planning committee to approve the scheme.
She said the officers recommend granting permission and explained the proposal relates to a site which has been vacant for a long time
“Despite previous permissions and extensive marketing over 30 years for employment uses and while all surrounding employment land has been developed and successfully let, this site has never come forward for development,” she said.
Ms Meehan also said the land’s constrained nature had limited its viability.
“The proposal before you represents a sustainable and productive alternative use,” she said.
Councillor Mary Jordan (I, Churchdown St John’s) asked if biodiversity improvements associated with the development could be provided locally.
Officers said they could be elsewhere and there was a suggestion some of the improvements might be in Malvern but there would be a formal process related to this.
And Councillor Matt Dimond-Brown (G, Tewkesbury South) echoed Cllr Jordan’s “excellent” suggestion for biodiversity improvements to be made in the Borough.
And also said both parish councils in Brockworth and Hucclecote asked for genuine improvements in bus provision serving the site.
“This application talks about an upgraded shelter and real time information,” he said.
“That’s about furniture not service. What is the current bus service to this particular sige and what improvements could be made?”
Officers said the bus services are “interesting in this area” because Gloucester Business Park is currently unadopted but there are regular services running through the site.
“The nearest of which is just north of the Lidl site on the approach to Tesco, there’s a bus shelter there ” a highways officer told the meeting.
Councillor Mel Gore (C, Isbourne) said it was important they ensure there are sufficient electrical charging points for customers and went on to propose they grant delegated permission in line with the officer’s recommendation.
This was seconded and the committee voted to approve the proposal.