Controversial proposals to increase the size of Burnham-On-Sea’s Tesco supermarket are to be debated at a public inquiry over the next fortnight.
Burnham-On-Sea.com learns the official inquiry into the Love Lane store’s plans to expand will be held in Burnham’s Princess Hall between Tuesday May 9th and Friday May 12th.
Burnham’s Mayor, Cllr Eric Gill, said this week he would be attending on behalf of the town council, and that other town and district councillors are likely to be in attendance.
The inquiry will be overseen by officials from the Office of The Deputy Prime Minister and, once complete, they will then be in a position to decide whether the scheme can be given the go-ahead.
The inquiry comes after a long-running saga in which the supermarket giant bowed to pressure last year and made several concesssions to win the backing of planners.
“Tesco made considerable alterations to their original plans and these were felt sufficient for the proposal to be passed by the district council,” said Cllr Louise Parkin at the time.
Tesco’s proposals include introducing a bigger shop floor area, a larger servicing area, and a mezzanine floor comprising a café and staff offices.
There would also be a substantial 2,368 square extension, resulting in a new store measuring 4,817 square metres.
Tesco agreed to accept a condition which would restrict durable goods such as clothing, electrical goods, toys, CDs, DVDs, videos, sports goods, kitchenware, household goods, and furniture to 25% of the total floorspace.
The decision by district councillors to give a green light to the store’s expansion plans in March 2005 had come after more than a year’s heated debate in which the town was split on whether the proposal should go ahead.
Some residents claimed the expanded store would better meet the needs of local shoppers, while others said the expansion would hit the trade of shops along Burnham-On-Sea’s high street.
A petition was submitted to Sedgemoor District Council by Tesco in support of the application, signed by 6,328 customers. It was one of the largest numbers of signatures they had ever collected for a store extension in the UK.
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Seven month delay for inquiry ‘astonishes’ Burnham council leader
Tesco’s expansion put on hold as inquiry begins
Tesco gets the go-ahead to expand Burnham store
