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Legal battle delays new Booths store
A RIVAL developer is challenging a decision to give Booths the go-ahead for a new supermarket south of Lancaster.
Commercial Estates Projects (CEP) wants a judicial review into Lancaster City Council’s decision last May to grant planning approval for the store on council-owned land at Lawson’s Bridge off the A6.
Its move comes after Booths opposed its plans for a larger supermarket next door on fields it bought from farmer David Townley, claiming the store’s scale would affect city centre retailers.
That scheme, which CEP says generated interest from all “Big Four” supermarkets, was refused by the council’s planning committee after councillors decided it would generate too much traffic.
CEP appealed that decision, sparking a public inquiry which began at Lancaster Town Hall in November, at which Booths supported the council’s stance.
But CEP claims that one of the reasons given by the council for refusing its scheme was its failure to provide for an access road across the site which could serve a possible future housing development over the railway line at Whinney Carr.
See the Lancaster Guardian (02-02-12) for full story.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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Comments
There are 6 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
JoanneCC
Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 08:50 PMI agree with everything already commented - Booth's is over priced and the petrol station adds an extra 5p a litre onto unleaded. I do have a conspiracy theory though - that the council will never agree to do anything to deal with the traffic (and in fact create additional traffic problems - such as with speed cuts and new traffic lights being added), until the by-pass to Heysham is agreed and built!
Ministry
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 01:17 PMAgreed too. Sainsburys is great, but the wrong side of town. Think of all the people having to go there from Bailrigg, too, and even Galgate! Booths is fine for one-off purchases, but I couldn't shop there weekly. Petrol has become a real problem for South Lancaster. The sole service station has no competition, so charges too much. Can't really blame 'em! I end up getting mine at Asda or Sainsburys Morecambe, but there has to be a better way.
Bill bentley
Friday, February 3, 2012 at 05:19 PMI agree with all comments, when it comes to us Joe Public we do not get a look in, why do we have the most expensive supermarket and petrol station here in the south of Lancaster? yes we have to travel to the other side of town to get food, petrol etc at a decent price so we cause more traffic by doing so, it's not rocket science but these thick council planning committee members can't see we on the south side want a proper supermarket and a petrol station where we don't get ripped off, we voted you into power so do as your told or resign.
wildlancaster
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 01:56 PMFully agree with both comments, perhaps the next time there are some council elections if NO ONE voted them maybe those who want our votes will start and listen to what we need. We do need another supermarket and petrol station this side of the river and the sooner it comes the better.
keithsowden
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 01:35 PMThe last thing we need is an expensive Booths. Our LabourGreen Council thinks its priority is to spend £1,700,000 on solar power and to promote inefficient windmills, whilst forcing all the people in South Lancaster to drive to Morecambe for cheap petrol and groceries. Illogical!
area51
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 12:24 PMWe need a big supermarket on the south side of the river as well as another fuel retailer. The council need to get their act together on this in order to stop thousands of vehicles a week from having to go through the town centre if only to shop at Sainsbugs! Booths is a nice store but is not competitive on a weekly shop, OK for the milk, bread and papers but otherwise too expensive. Im not an eco warrior but we do need a viable alternative on this side of the town and river!
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