Ulverston supermarket plans to be re-submitted
Last updated at 13:53, Thursday, 05 April 2012
PLANS for a supermarket in Ulverston are to be withdrawn and re-submitted after heritage organisations picked apart the application.
Robinson’s bid to build the 28,000 square foot store at its Brewery Street depot has courted controversy since the application was first lodged in June last year.
Campaigners against the supermarket, which could create around 200 jobs, originally anticipated the application would go before planning chiefs in October.
But the long-running saga is set to continue after planning authority South Lakeland District Council confirmed Robinson’s will shortly submit an altered application.
Conservation organisations English Heritage, the Victorian Society and Save Britain’s Heritage all objected to the plan, which would involve the demolition of former brewery buildings.
Beer was brewed at the historic site, which is part of the Ulverston Conservation Area, between 1755 and 1991.
Graeme Ives, English Heritage historic areas advisor, said: “The site is located within, and makes a positive contribution to, the Ulverston Conservation Area and we are firmly of the view that the proposals represent a substantial level of harm to the character and appearance of the conservation area.
“We therefore recommend the application is refused consent and alternative proposals are brought forward that better reflect the distinctiveness of this part of the conservation area.”
Colin Pickthall, chairman of the community campaign group Keep Ulverston Special, said the group recognised the site needed redevelopment, but would continue to oppose the plan as long as it included a supermarket.
He said: “It was our people that got it taken up with English Heritage and other organisations in the first place, so we are quite pleased about that.
“It’s a double-edged thing for us.
“The more it’s delayed, the more chance we have of keeping on making our point.
“But equally, the more difficult it is to sustain public interest.
“I’ve had it said to me ‘It’s all gone away now, hasn’t it?’.
“Well, they haven’t gone away.
“They are infinitely patient because there is a lot of money at stake, but we are keeping a very close eye on it and we will react as soon as Robinson’s put a renewed application in.”
The Evening Mail contacted the development manager behind the supermarket plan, but no one was available for comment.
First published at 13:03, Thursday, 05 April 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk
What is a conservation area? A good way to keep an empty town emptier by the sound of it!Walk the streets of Ulverston from Sunday to Wednesday, you'll barely see a soul. Except for the pound shop doing a roaring trade! The only thing missing in the town through the week is Tumbleweed rolling down the streets. I see also a For Sale sign on Annies the butchers...dying from lack of footfall...you cannot operate a shop catering for three days a week. You'd be better off with a market stall....and there's another sad story! We need footfall in the town....we need The People's Supermarket....NOW!!!!!
View all 16 comments on this article
Have your say
Dave - if you read the sign properly you would know Annies butchers is not affected by the sale of the property.
Posted by Big Al on 7 April 2012 at 09:29