in Hadleigh store planning application.
Several unacceptable errors and mis-information are contained in submissions to Babergh District Council’s planning authority regarding the proposed new Lidl store on the outskirts of Hadleigh, Suffolk, according to The Hadleigh Society.
Richard Fletcher, the Society’s chairperson and retired town planner, points out that the reports:
- describe Hadleigh as having a frequent daily bus service to Pudsey Station in West Yorkshire!
- confuses the West Midlands town of Halesowen with Hadleigh in trading assessments.
- have complete disregard for the community’s planning policies contained in the Hadleigh Neighbourhood Plan.
- fail to realise that there is no direct footpath or cycleway connecting the proposed store to the town’s existing pedestrian and cycle pathways.
- give inaccurate figures for trading hours of other stores in Hadleigh affected by the new store.
- fail to take into account the impact of the imminent introduction of car parking charges in Hadleigh on the future viability of the town centre shops affected by the Lidl store.
“It is extremely disappointing that the submissions made on behalf of Lidl are so deficient and that the scheme lacks the environmental, landscaping and quality design one would have expected from a leading retailer for its location in an important historic market town,” said Mr Fletcher.
The Society, in its submission to Babergh, has advised that councillors ought not to grant any planning permission until the environmental, design and safety deficiencies identified by the Society are made good, for the benefit of the local community.
The Society and supporters will be putting forward their objections at a public meeting arranged by Hadleigh Town Council regarding the Lidl application at Hadleigh Town Hall, Dining Room, at 6.30 pm on 6th January 2025.
- The Hadleigh Society, in Suffolk, was formed in 1982 with its primary aim: To protect and enhance Hadleigh’s heritage and environment by supporting and promoting high standards in planning, conservation, regeneration and development of features deemed to be of historical or environmental significance in the town.