£20m development approved that will bring Tesco, Home Bargains and Costa drive-thru to Louth

Louth is to get its own Tesco, Home Bargains, and Costa drive-thru after a £20 million industrial and retail development was approved.

East Lindsey District Council’s Planning Committee formally greenlit the Northfields Park scheme from Bride Hall Developments (BHD Louth) during a meeting on Thursday morning.

The development will occupy a site across the A16 from Fairfield Industrial Estate and will feature ten modern units, with a third of them housing the retail giants.

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Among the industrial businesses are plans for a car service and tyre unit, as well as a sales and servicing unit for agricultural machinery and goods.

In a letter to the committee, Marcus Vinnicombe, property acquisitions and disposals director for Tesco Stores Ltd, noted that this new branch will be of a similar size to its store in Mablethorpe and will also include a Click & Collect facility, a petrol station, and a jet wash.

“We are excited to be working with the applicant, BHD Louth, to deliver these proposals and we are pleased with the positive reception that they received in both the pre-application and council consultations,” he wrote.

Representing the applicant, Marcus Allington insisted that the development will provide jobs and business investment, and that the company has worked closely with East Lindsey District Council to find the right mix for the town.

“Tesco, Home Bargains, and Costa will provide a wider offer to the residents of Louth,” he stated, pointing out that people appeared to be leaving the town to shop in places such as Grimsby due to its wider range of options.

Lucy Turner, from Montagu Evans LLP – the agent – highlighted that the proposed retail and industrial park will create over 300 full-time employment opportunities, as well as 200 direct and indirect jobs during the construction phase.

She said: “Unemployment rates in East Lindsey are higher than both the Lincolnshire and national averages.

“Our development will create job opportunities that cater to a wide range of skill levels.”

Concerns were raised by a representative from the Co-Op and Louth Town Councillor James Drake about how the development would affect the vitality and viability of the town centre, as it would be located on the northern outskirts of town.

“We do appreciate that this development would bring extra employment, but we believe it would reduce the footfall and viability of some of the other retail spaces in the ton centre by diverting business from there,” said Coun Drake.

He later argued that the development was not big enough to attract people from outside of Louth.

“You’re just competing locally,” he added.

Nevertheless, the committee chose to approve the major development, proposed and seconded by councillors Terry Taylor (Con) and Steve McMillan (Ind), respectively.