Yahoo News New Morrisons in Louth takes a big step as Tesco and Co-op also make plans
Planning officials have recommended approval of a large new Morrisons store in Louth creating 50 more jobs on top of the 90 existing roles.
East Lindsey District Council planners were due to meet today (Thursday, May 9) to assess the major development on Eastgate and hear some of the objections from nearby residents.
And another round of 'store wars' is heating up in Louth with a further expansion at the Northgate site of Co-op. Tesco is also pushing ahead with its plans for a 31,000sq ft superstore at Northfields, off the A16, which includes Home Bargains, Costa and a drive-thru.
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Councillors will be told the proposed Morrisons site, at 3,636 square metres, which is nearly 40,000 square feet, would take around 18 months to complete. The existing store will remain open to continue serving the community, if plans are approved.
There will be 195 parking spaces, four with electric vehicle charging points. A new access road will be created from Eastgate, as well as the existing Monks Dyke Road.
Senior property manager for Morrisons, Georgina French said: "We are aware of other proposals for new retail development in and around Louth but think our current site is the best location to serve the town’s growing needs. As a town centre site, our store already plays an important role in attracting shoppers to Louth so other shops and services benefit too."
The firm says it is British farming's biggest customer. It has its own abattoirs, fruit and veg packing and bakeries. The store would incorporate a number of measures to reduce its carbon footprint, including solar panels on the roof, low energy LED lighting, low flow taps to control water usage and voltage optimisation. There will also be a new café and toilets for customers.
Louth town councillors supported the application but raised concerns about the impact on elderly residents in Elizabeth Court and in neighbouring streets.
Residents raised objections to the plans and said traffic lights and a zebra crossing will need to be installed on Eastgate to improve road safety.
They also called for improvements to the notoriously pot-holed Orme Lane. Neighbours want better screening and landscaping to cut down light pollution from the store and the noise that will be generated from staff arriving early and leaving late.
Some wanted a new store built on the Fairfield Industrial Estate and were concerned about the impact on house prices. In contrast to the 24 objections, there were 112 letters in support welcoming jobs, sustaining trade in Louth, and an end to the flooding of the existing store when there is heavy rain fall.
Shoppers would also no longer need to push heavily-laden trolleys up the hill to the car park at the rear. The retail store will be around 21,000 square feet.
A report to councillors said: "The Local Plan supports growth and the provision of facilities to enhance the quality of life for its residents. A new, enlarged supermarket in a central, town centre location in Louth could help to achieve these aims by providing enhanced choice of product and competition and additional year round-jobs and so in principle would be acceptable."
The latest council report on shopping showed around 25 per cent of available expenditure on main food shopping is done outside of Louth. The Aldi supermarket, in Newbridge Hill, was the most visited supermarket in East Lindsey taking 10.6 per cent of available expenditure, with the Morrisons store, in Eastgate, being the third most visited, accounting for about 6.6 per cent of all available expenditure.
The report said Louth is a vital and viable town centre and that there is capacity within the town to support additional convenience floorspace going forwards.
But the report added: "The Council is currently considering another application for a supermarket to serve the Louth catchment area and cumulatively the two new supermarkets could have an adverse impact on the vitality and viability of Louth town centre.
"However, that application is not yet ready for determination and is sequentially in a much poorer location than the Morrisons store. In the light of the conclusions of the impact of the Morrisons' extended floorspace on the vitality and viability of Louth town centre, it is considered that any cumulative harm would arise from the introduction of the Tesco store."
A year ago, developers Bride Hall, for Tesco, said they are aiming for a £20-million development at Northfields, on the Louth bypass which included plans for a Home Bargains and Costa Coffee, a drive-thru and a 31,000 sq ft Tesco superstore.
