Consent fails to halt store saga
Police and council representatives speak to members of the public who were unable to get in to the meeting
A SUPERMARKET has been granted planning permission in the centre of Desborough – but as it stands the store will not be able to sell food.
At a packed and emotional Kettering Borough Council planning committee meeting last Wednesday, councillors voted to approve a Tesco superstore at the former Lawrence factory site off Harborough Road.
At the same meeting, members voted to throw out an application for a Sainsbury’s superstore at Magnetic Park, on land to the north of the town.
But question marks remain over how the Tesco supermarket will trade with a covenant on the site preventing the sale of food. The council has admitted it could take up to three years to remove it.
Louise Gosling, regional corporate affairs manager for Tesco, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have our proposal accepted and this will bring people into Desborough, its High Street, and bring a buzz back to the place.
“We’ve been working on this for two years and a lot of people in the town had concerns about the effect of an out-of-town development could have on the town centre.
“We are confident that the covenant can be lifted quickly.”
The Tesco plan will create 140 jobs to the town as part of a 24,000 sq ft store.
Borough council officers admitted the development would hinder the conservation area it is being built on, but felt the public benefits outweighed the drawbacks.
The Sainsbury’s plan for a 21,000 sq ft store, which would have created up to 200 jobs, was rejected.
Sainsbury’s regional development executive Robert Oxley said: “The council has missed a real opportunity for development in Desborough and to secure its long-term future.
“It’s disappointing for us but also for Desborough people as the council has put the Tesco application on ice because of the covenant.
“We will now consider our options before making the next step.”
A spokesman for the Midlands Co-operative Society last night confirmed it had no intention of removing the covenant it holds on the factory sit.
Speaking at the meeting, Louise Holland, development officer for the council, said: “The covenant is not an insurmountable issue.
“We will first negotiate, and, if necessary, use planning power.”
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Weather for Harborough
Tuesday 22 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North west
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Temperature: 12 C to 24 C
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btaylor
Friday, February 3, 2012 at 09:41 AMWhether we do or dont get a superstore doesn't overly bother me, its the Desborough community trust, they are occupying one of the nicest commercial properties on the high street for a bric a brac store, how is this development! They need to reassess their tactics for getting Desborough growing, filling a shop with c*ap will not achieve this...
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