The fast food and bakery chain Greggs is proposing to double the size of its store in Swanage, Dorset, to include a larger seating and eating area for customers.
Greggs, which has occupied 14 Station Road in the town centre since 2014, is hoping to expand into the next door premises, formerly occupied by Goadsby estate agents and the Canine Academy, and currently empty.
The tiny seating and eating area will be much larger
Planning permission not needed
Crucially, it doesn’t need planning permission for the expansion as it would be an extension of an existing business, so it could become a supersized Greggs before the end of 2026.
Swanage is currently one of Greggs’ smaller stores in its portfolio of more than 2,100 shops in England, and based on the town’s footfall through spring, summer and autumn, it has the potential to be a lot busier.
The plan is for the new Greggs to have one frontage across the two buildings, which does need planning permission as a material change to the street scenery. Greggs plc has also requested permission for new signs to go across the building.
At a meeting on Monday 2nd February 2026, Swanage Town Council, as a consultee, raised no objection to any of the proposals. It is now down to Dorset Council as the planning authority to make the decision whether to grant permission or not.
Greggs plans to expand into number 12 Station Road, once occupied by Goadsby estate agents
“It would be a good thing for the town”
Swanage town councillor and deputy chair of Swanage Chamber of Trade John Lejeune said:
“We have passed the plans on to Dorset Council for it to do its scrutiny, and it will have the final say.
“We are a talking floor to discuss it and pass on our views and those of people we have spoken to, and the town council’s view is that it would be a good thing for the town.
“Only one member of the public turned up to the meeting and he was all for it, but I put up word about it on my Facebook page and most people I have heard from and spoken to don’t have much concern about the plans.
“Greggs is good at serving people, and it takes pressure off the small independents when they can’t cope with numbers in the summer time.
“Greggs stays open until 7 pm where other shops close earlier – some of their other outlets stay open until 10 at night, but Greggs haven’t applied to stay open later.”
The current shop will at least double in size once work is finished
The plans submitted for the expanded shop
“A well considered enhancement”
In the planning application, consultants JMS Planners acting for Greggs, said that the shopfront alterations would be minor, merging the two shops together with more glazing and new shopfront doors, all in keeping with the local character.
It added that the proposed new signage for the units would use Greggs’ trademark colours and include a new projecting sign.
Neve Thomson, for JMS Planners, said:
“The shopfront at number 14 features double doors with glazing on either side, and the unit is already in operation as a Greggs. The shopfront at number 12 is divided into two sections for two former commercial units, with glazing across the frontage and doors at either end.
“The Purbeck design guide emphasises that well designed shop fronts and advertisements, can enhance the visual character of an area, whilst poorly designed examples create clutter and detract from the appearance of buildings and streets.
“Our proposal has been designed to respond positively to the character of Swanage Conservation Area and the wider townscape, as it sits within an area identified in the Swanage Local Plan as having high townscape value.
“The proposed alterations respect the traditional pattern of shopfronts along Station Road and the development will not result in harm to any heritage assets or their settings, and represents a well considered enhancement to the existing frontage.”
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Further information
- Greggs planning application P/ADV/2026/00133
- Greggs says it’s about more than just sausage rolls!
