A representative from Planning, Leicester City Council, will provide an update on progress on the Sainsbury’s development on Melton Road.
Minutes:
Angie Patterson, a Senior Planner with Leicester City Council, reported that:-
· Planning permission for development by Sainsbury’s had been issued on 12 December 2012;
· The timetable provided by Sainsbury’s before planning permission was granted stated that it was hoped that work would start in either March or April 2013 and that the store would open before Christmas 2013. However, before work could start, Sainsbury’s was required to meet pre-commencement conditions, such as providing information on materials to be used for the building and the petrol station;
· A local agreement required Sainsbury’s to make a contribution to the park immediately next to the site. This was likely to be to improve sports facilities or play equipment. Some public art work also was to be provided and there would be consultation on the details of this;
· There was not likely to be much disruption during the development on the former GE Lighting site, as there was plenty of room on the site, (for example, for site compounds);
· The contractors at the former GE Lighting site would be required to take traffic considerations in to account during the development. For example, movements of vehicles in and out of the site, deliveries and employee parking arrangements would have to be agreed with the Council;
· Various highways works remained to be agreed with the Council, including a new bus lane on Melton Road, that would lead to the bus lane already operating on the city side of Melton Road;
· It was likely that there would be some disruption while the highways works were underway, but there were various things the contractors would be required to do to minimise this;
· No highway work would be permitted over the Christmas period;
· The employment land on the site was to be marketed, as Sainsbury’s did not currently have end users. The Council had to agree to the marketing strategy and Sainsbury’s had to market the site for 18 months. There would only be light industrial use in this part of the development, due to the proximity of the site to residential properties;
· No work would be done on the Belgrave Road site until the store on the former GE Lighting site was open and trading, so development there would not start until 2014;
· Sainsbury’s would have to apply to the government Department of Transport for a stopping up order to close the Belgrave flyover, as it was adopted highway. Sainsbury’s could not apply for this until planning permission was granted, but the Department of Transport could still refuse permission. If permission was not granted, the scheme for that area could not proceed as proposed, as the consent given relied on the flyover being removed;
· If approval was given to remove the flyover, it would not be demolished until the new store on the former GE Lighting site was open for trade;
· The method of removal of the flyover would be agreed with Council highways officers;
· A transport assessment was submitted with the planning application for the development of the Belgrave Road site. The highway authority concluded through this that it was possible to remove the flyover; and
· Following the removal of the Belgrave flyover, there would be three lanes of traffic along Belgrave Road. Once the development there was complete, this would be reduced to two lanes of traffic.
AGREED:
That planning officers be asked to let the Meeting know what the requirements were for advertising the closure of the Belgrave flyover and how members of the public can participate in consultation on this.