7 Feb 2013
Result of TESCO planning application...
The Strategic Planning Committee looked at the TESCO proposals for the Barbican Road site, and went against officer recommendation, voting by a majority of 14 to 1, with one abstention, to refuse the application on the grounds that it failed the sequential test stating there is a preferable supermarket site at Polean which is closer to town centre.
Excerpt from planning committee minutes...
RESOLVED that Application No PA12/06664 be refused.
The reasons given by the Proposer for wishing to refuse the application were that in the opinion of the Local Planning Authority, due to the development potential offered by the land at Polean to the west of the town centre, the current planning application site on land at Barbican Road, East Looe fails to satisfy the sequential test and was therefore contrary to the policy guidance contained within Paragraph 27 of the National Planning Policy Framework; saved Policy 14 of the Cornwall Structure Plan 2004 and saved policy Alt6 of the Caradon District Local Plan First Alteration.
The proposed development, by way of its location, financial impact and transfer of shopping trips from the town centre, will have an adverse impact upon the vitality and
viability of Looe town centre, contrary to Section 2 of the NPPF, saved Policy 14 of the Cornwall Structure Plan 2004 and Policy ALT6 of the Caradon District Local Plan First Alteration.
The opportunity to secure the planning obligations set out in the application had not been established and this prevents a major development with all the associated infrastructure requirements being secured at the present time. The proposal therefore conflicts with Paragraphs 203 and 204 of the NPPF; saved Policies 1, 2, 9, and 11 of the Cornwall Structure Plan 2004 and saved Policies H011, C01 and ALT6 of the Caradon District Local Plan First Alteration.
Councillor Toms (Electoral Division Member) attended the meeting and made the following points in relation to the application:-
(i) people in the Looe area wanted a supermarket in their town;(ii) the Polean site was preferred to the proposed application site;(iii) concern was raised with regard to the impact on the access road to the site.(iv) the footpath along the road was very narrow and pedestrians had to step into the road;(v) concern was expressed with regard to emergency vehicles accessing the site;(vi) there was a need for affordable housing in the area but this had to be balanced against impact on the town from the proposed for supermarket;(vii) a supermarket within the Town would reduce car journeys to surrounding towns;(viii) concern was expressed with regard to the impact on local businesses in the area;(ix) the proposed application was situated on Grade 2 agricultural land. Councillor Toms concluded by referring to the forecasted retail impact outlined in the GVA Grimley report and due to an alternative site being identified he asked the Committee to refuse the application.
Councillor Hannaford (adjoining Electoral Division Member) attended the meeting and raised the following points in relation to the application:-
(i) 80% of the residents within Looe would do their main food shop at supermarkets in surrounding towns and top up shops within the Looe Town Centre;(ii) linked trips between the town centre and the proposed application site would not be practical due to the topography of the town;(iii) the proposed application would have a detrimental impact on the town centre;(iv) Concern was raised with regard to the outcomes detailed in the GVA Grimley report;(v) the proposed affordable housing was welcomed but had to be weighed against the harm of the supermarket; Councillor Hannaford concluded by asking the Committee to refuse the application.
A debate ensued and the main points were noted as follows:- (i) concern was raised with regard to the retail impact outlined in the GVA Grimley report;(ii) there was a minimal number of food shops in Looe town centre;(iii) affordable housing was required within Looe;(iv) concern was expressed in relation to the site being on Grade 2 agricultural land;(v) the proposed application would have an adverse impact on the landscape;(vi) concern was raised with regard to the petrol station impacting on independent petrol retailers in the area;(vii) the link trips between the proposed supermarket and the town centre would be minimal.
Link to planning committee minutes PA12/06664... minutes of agenda item: Tesco Looe
Download pdf of officer recommendation PA12/06664... officer recommendation: Tesco Looe
Download pdf of officer recommendation PA12/06664... officer recommendation: Tesco Looe
Press comment...
Looe's retail focus split in two by Tesco plans
The controversial scheme for a new Tesco superstore on a greenfield site on the outskirts of Looe goes before Cornwall's Strategic Planning Committee in Truro in five days time on Thursday 7 February with a recommendation for approval.
Residents of the historic fishing port of Looe on the south coast of Cornwall are divided between those that want a supermarket on their doorstep at any cost and those that think this particular scheme will ruin the long-term future health and prosperity of the town if passed.
Members of the Looe Strategy Group, are extremely worried by the prospect of a competing retail destination in a rural location on a green hillside one mile out of town.
They are worried that, by siting the supermarket out of town, the commercial focus of Looe would be split in two opposing directions. One would have free parking and the other not... how many would then choose the centre when they could park freely up on the hill?
Planning policies prescribe against urban sprawl or out-of-town development and exist to protect and enhance the environment. They recognise the high street to be the heart of the community and seek to rejuvenate our town centres to restore their viability and vitality... and yet the Tesco application does just the opposite because the location is wrong.
The LSG are not against a supermarket in Looe per se, but contend that this proposal is premature because there is a more central, viable and preferable brownfield site at Polean next to the main car park waiting to be developed.
Surveys show that the business community in Looe regard the alternative Polean option to be less damaging because it would retain shoppers in the centre of town. It could even compliment the town by encouraging linked trips to Looe's many other facilities.
Crucially, another supermarket operator has prepared a bid for Polean which goes before Cornwall's Cabinet on 13th February, but the door would be closed on this option if Tesco were to get approval first.
Looe Town Council last night voted by a majority of 4:1 to oppose the revised Tesco plans and sent the following recommendation to Cornwall Council...
Looe Town Council
Revised Tesco Plans...
The application description has been amended and revised plans submitted. The application and associated documents can be viewed electronically at any of the One Stop Shops between 9am and 5pm or viewed via Public Access on the Council website at... PA12/06664 Tesco Looe
Revisions to the scheme:
- The layout of the affordable housing has been changed following problems of overlooking the neighbouring traveller transit site. Two units closest to the northern boundary have been removed and squeezed in between the row of 24 units already facing the Barbican Rd/ access road. This is achieved by closing up gaps between the buildings and forming an almost continuous terrace. The scale of the small affordable units is in stark contrast to the scale of the superstore opposite and the low standard of design has echoes of the mistakes of the past;
- A number of trees are also lost, as are a number of car parking spaces. The loss of parking spaces would likely lead to parking on the roads and pavements;
- Drawings are provided of the petrol filling station - it is estimated this would attract 25% additional traffic to the site just to refuel;
- There is no indication within the proposal however of any signage connected with the store or the filling station;
- A car wash and a jetwash have also been added next to the filling station. It is feared that these together with the huge acreage of tarmac and concrete would increase the likelihood of flooding and contaminated water run-off adding to the problems already associated with the Barratt development and the landslips/ road closures lower down.
Texaco announce their 24hr marine fuel facility in Station Road would close as a consequence of another outlet being built on the Barbican Road. This would impact Looe boat owners who have purpose built steps up from the river to the filling station. see Texaco letter... TEXACO/ Looe Boat Owners/ RNLI
Survey results looked at again...
It has been widely reported that 2/3rds of residents want a Tesco in Looe, however a re-examination of the results of the Looe Town Council household survey reveals that of the 1013 replies received, 487 (48%) supported the Barbican Road site whilst 526 (52%) either opposed the Barbican Road site or opposed a supermarket coming to Looe. This would indicate that whilst a majority of residents do want a supermarket somewhere in Looe, only a minority support the current proposals for the Barbican Road.
for full results of a survey of Looe Traders and a Polean opinion poll scroll to bottom of page... 'Morrisons/ Polean'
the Tesco application has been temporarily withdrawn from committee by CC pending further enquiries - in the meantime other operators are investigating the alternative supermarket site at Polean...
It is hoped that any new proposals would be not as large or as prominent as the Barbican Road scheme so as to have a reduced traffic/environmental impact and that plans would include improvements to the junction and slip road feeding Millpool for the benefit of everyone using it. We have heard that the sale of land could produce £1m for community use.
Cornwall Council dismisses traffic concerns...
Dear Cornwall Council, further to my other emails I am writing to find out why more of the points within our SBA Transport Representation on the Tesco application PA12/06664 were not taken into account more fully. It seems to me that there are a number of areas where the PBA TA failed to provide adequate information or indeed was incorrect in its assumptions, in particular these were:-
- The study area for the TA is too small, the trip distribution and junction analysis should be considered on a far wider basis as there will be a significant area of impact which has only partially been considered
- The area of injury accident analysis is also far too small for a development of this nature
- The assessment of pedestrian and cycling routes is inadequate and the impact of the local topography has been ignored
- The hours of assessment of the highway network seem inaccurate with peak times likely to be different than those assessed
- The estimated trip generation of the development is in our view far too low, our assessment reveals that trips would be 40% higher than the PBA TA
- The TA’s drive time calculations are incorrect, the 10 and 15 minute drive times include postcodes PL12 and PL14 which have been ignored
- The TA trip distribution is very questionable and assumes that a very high percentage of trip will be passing by the site from zones outside of the study area, assumptions regarding zone 2 of the assessment are very questionable
- The TA junction analysis and junction designs are inaccurate and are based upon data without queue length validation
- The impact upon rural rat runs have failed to be considered
- The development site is unsustainable in transport and relies upon use of the private car
Could you please let me know how the above issues, as described in more detail in our report, have been addressed? It seems that the scheme is being rushed through without adequate consideration of these critical issues.
Matt Grist Regional Director
SAVELL BIRD & AXON
Letter to Looe Town Council
Dear Members, As previously advised the officer report for this application unexpectedly recommends approval of the Tesco proposals per the attached link... Report to Committee (updated 30 Jan 2013)
You will know the proposal site is in an Area of Great Landscape Value on greenfield, high quality agricultural land and beyond the development limits for Looe in the Caradon Local Plan. There is a previous refusal for a Park & Ride application on the site because of concerns about traffic and adverse impact on an Area of Great Landscape Value.
In a recent survey of town centre traders almost all said they were seriously concerned about the adverse impact on footfall that this out-of-town proposal would have. GVA Grimley said it could impact town centre turnover by up to 38% generally and up to 63% for food stores leading to possible closures. They suggested an alternative site at Polean was sequentially preferable because it is adjacent the main Millpool car park and closer, within level walking distance of town centre and would have less adverse impact. It is also brownfield land earmarked for redevelopment in the Local Plan.
If the reason for recommending approval is to secure the affordable units, this benefit wouldn't be justified by the disproportionately large adverse impact on the town as a whole, bearing in mind 99 new homes (40 affordable) are already reaching completion on phase one of the Barratt estate with a similar number given outline permission for phase two. There is another housing development just being finished along the road at Widegates and preliminary enquires for a scheme of around 180 to 225 new homes in West Looe.
Local opinion is that those who are opposed to the Barbican Road site feel that the presence of a large supermarket in Looe would be less harmful if it were close to centre, a little smaller, selling mostly food and probably without a petrol filling station. There would be traffic consequences for whichever site is chosen but at least the Polean option would allow improvements to be made to the junction and slip road also feeding the main town centre Millpool car park for the benefit of everyone ◆ Looe Strategy Group
Plans for Park & Ride on Tesco's site refused
We have discovered that a Local Authority planning application in 1993 for a Park & Ride was refused because of concerns about traffic and adverse impact on an Area of Great Landscape Value as follows:
- It would generate a considerable increase in vehicular traffic along Barbican Road, which is a busy road with restricted visibility and is inadequate to cater for such additional vehicles and traffic emerging from the proposed means of access. Would likely create hazardous conditions to other road users;
- The scale of engineering works envisaged to provide a vehicular access to the site would result in the loss of a valuable length of cornish hedge and the proposal would be detrimental to the visual amenities of this sensitive part of a special Area of Great Landscape Value.
To see a summary of the council report go to... 'Plans Refused'
30 Nov
recent news on GVA Grimley Report and the Polean site
Cornwall Council's own consultants, GVA Grimley, have submitted their retail impact assessment.
This is a highly significant report because it says the Barbican Road and St Martins Road sites of Tesco and Asda fail the sequential test as there is a preferable site available for a supermarket at Polean which is better connected to the town centre. It recommends further investigations to prove the Polean site.
The report also says the out-of-town location of the proposed Tesco store would draw a signifiant amount of custom away from the town centre resulting in a large loss of turnover/trade.
To see summary of report go to... 'Morrisons/ Polean' tab where there is a link to the whole document.
Tesco continued below... 'Tesco Design & Layout'
To see summary of report go to... 'Morrisons/ Polean' tab where there is a link to the whole document.
Tesco continued below... 'Tesco Design & Layout'
Comment Date: Wed 23 Jan 2013