South Cambridge Council has rejected Tesco’s planning application for a 25,000 sq m (269,000 sq ft) retail development in the centre of Bar Hill, Cambridgeshire.
Planning officers argued that the scheme, which has local support, was contrary to Structure Plan policies and Government policy on sustaining town centres.
The council’s principle development control officer, David Rush, said: “The proposal did not meet the sequential test criteria. Bar Hill is not considered an established town centre, although it is one of the largest south Cambridgeshire villages. Nor has it been identified in the structure plan as an established centre for this type or scale of development.”
Tesco has an existing consent on part of the site which would allow it to demolish the existing shopping mall and replace it with new shops including 30,000 sq ft unit and an extension to the existing Tesco superstore.
Rush adds: “The commercial approach is not related to the proposals to extend Tesco, but to the extra unit which would have been 50,000 sq ft larger than in the original proposal.”
A Tesco spokesperson said the retailer is still considering whether to appeal against the decision or use its existing consent which expires next year.
EGi News 10/03/97
