In an extraordinary move, planners at Dorset Council say a discount supermarket at Sandford near Wareham in Dorset should not be granted planning approval, despite overwhelming support from local residents.
The plan for a Lidl – which would be the first discount supermarket in the Purbeck area – is to be decided at the Dorset Council eastern area planning committee on Wednesday 6th November 2024.
The pocket of green belt land (marked in white) is just off the Sandford Road next to Pottery Lines residential road and The Sandford pub
“Infrastructure upgrades communities care about”
In an added twist, not only have the planners told the elected councillors not to grant permission on the greenfield site but have also issued a warning that if councillors go against their recommendation then the decision will have to be referred to the government’s secretary of state for housing, communities and local government Angela Raynor, which could be costly.
However in July 2024, Angela Raynor made it crystal clear that she was keen to see development on lower quality green belt – redefined as grey belt – to deliver housing, local infrastructure and economic growth.
Speaking in the House of Commons, she said:
“Without altering the general extent or purpose of the green belt, our proposed changes will support local planning authorities facing acute housing and development pressures to meet their needs, while securing environmental improvements, affordable housing and other infrastructure upgrades communities care about.”
The original Lidl planning application was submitted before 2024 and is therefore subject to earlier planning legislation but if the decision does end up in the hands of Angela Rayner, it is unlikely to go against her proposed changes. More housing can’t be responsibly built without the infrastructure to support it.
The site has been used as a field for animal grazing and is said to only make a moderate contribution towards the aims of the green belt
While the field in question is not thought to have been previously developed, the area has an industrial past having been the location for the Sibley Pottery
Not high value green belt land
It is accepted by the planners that the proposed building site, which is used for grazing and hosting an annual funfair, is not high value green belt land.
Houses along the residential road Pottery Lines have been built adjacent to the land.
In the report by Dorset Council planning department to the committee, it states:
“Officers consider despite it being a ‘moderate’ contribution, this should be protected regardless to prevent further erosion of the green belt and further encroachment on the countryside in this area.”
Dorset Council planners say that the development will impact the openess of the green belt
The planners argue that the application fails “to show a development that positively integrates with the surroundings or that is sympathetic to local character and history”
Reasons for recommending refusal
The reasons given for refusal of the supermarket are:
- The development is considered to be inappropriate development, which is by definition harmful to the green belt
- Impact on the openness of the green belt
- Impact on the character of the area
- Very special circumstances do not exist, as the harm to the openness of the green belt, the harm to the character of the area and any other harm is not clearly outweighed by the proposed benefits
However, when consulted, Natural England and Dorset Council’s own natural environment team had no objection to the development. Dorset Wildlife Trust made no comment.
Following a traffic survey and Lidl’s offer to remodel the nearby Sibley Pottery roundabout, Dorset Council Highways has not raised an objection to the plans.
If the development goes ahead, improvements will be made to the Sibley Pottery roundabout and the council is estimated to receive £241,631 from Lidl to go towards improving local infrastructure
The lack of a discount retailer in Purbeck means residents have to travel to Upton, Poole or Dorchester to buy more affordable food and goods
Reasons for granting planning permission
Lidl has submitted a case claiming that very special circumstances do exist and that harm to the green belt is clearly outweighed by other circumstances. They are:
- Significant quantitative need for a new low and discount (LAD) store
- Significant qualitative need for a new low and discount store
- Reduction in transport movements
- Community comments
- Job creation and economic benefits
- No alternative sites
Lidl also argues that the multi million pound development would:
- Create 40 new jobs
- Create a biodiversity net gain
- Address the significant quantitative and qualitative need for a LAD store to serve this catchment (and indeed the wider area)
- Provide discounted groceries in a cost of living crisis
- Reduce the need to travel out to Poole, saving more than 400 tonnes of CO2 during a climate emergency
The retailer will create 40 new jobs if the new store gets the go ahead
Huge public support
The local community has come out in force to support Lidl’s planning application for a new modern discount food store.
More than 3,200 residents confirmed their support for the new store during the supermarket’s public consultation. In addition to this, the planning application has now reached more than 500 supportive letters and emails.
Many supporters complain that there is a shortage of supermarkets in the area, with the Co-op and Sainsburys in Wareham charging higher prices than retailers in Poole or Bournemouth.
A household shoppers survey conducted in July 2022 concluded that there was a significant unmet retail need in the area and a qualitative need for improved grocery provision.
There have been some local objectors including Dorset councillors for Wareham, Beryl Ezzard and Ryan Holloway and Wareham St Martin parish council. The main objection is the impact on the green belt.
Final decision to be made by councillors
While the planners can recommend approval or refusal, it is down to the elected councillors to make the final decision and consider whether the development should go ahead or not.
Should councillors vote to address the unmet local need for grocery provision, creating jobs and improving the local economy, or vote to protect the green belt at all costs, although this site only provides moderate benefit?
Further information
- Eastern area planning committee from 10 am on Wednesday 6th November 2024, agenda and video link
- Anyone wishing to speak at the meeting must notify the committee by 8.30 am on Monday 4th November 2024 by email joshua.kennedy@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk
- Dorset Council planning officer report
- Deputy Prime Minister on changes to national planning policy transcript of speech
- UK Government’s proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework
