*** March 2024 - LIDL Appeals against LCC Refusal***
Better Wetherby have just been informed that Lidl have submitted an appeal against the decision to refuse planning permission for a new store, at the moment we do not know any further details, but we will be monitoring the situation and will issue further reports in the future.
We are surprised by this decision from Lidl as the grounds for refusal were very clearly outlined by the Plans Panel, these included the fact that the Application was contrary to the adopted Leeds Site Allocation Plan and Local Plan, together with the adopted Wetherby Neighbourhood Plan and the National Planning Policy Framework.
You can click here to read the full report presented to the Plans Panel last October - note that this report stretches to nearly 60 pages, however the final conclusion below is a succinct summary of the "overwhelming case . . . .against the proposal".
We are surprised by this decision from Lidl as the grounds for refusal were very clearly outlined by the Plans Panel, these included the fact that the Application was contrary to the adopted Leeds Site Allocation Plan and Local Plan, together with the adopted Wetherby Neighbourhood Plan and the National Planning Policy Framework.
You can click here to read the full report presented to the Plans Panel last October - note that this report stretches to nearly 60 pages, however the final conclusion below is a succinct summary of the "overwhelming case . . . .against the proposal".
Thursday October 19th - Plans Panel unanimously refuse Lidl Application
The Lidl Planning Application was refused (a vote of 9-0) at the meeting which was attended by Wetherby Town and Ward Councillors, representatives of Better Wetherby and Wetherby Civic Society together with four residents from adjacent to the site.
The much publicised public support for Lidl never appeared and the one speaker in favour of the Application withdrew. Lidl and their co-applicant were at the meeting but were not allowed to speak as they had not registered themselves, this resulted in representatives of both Better Wetherby and Wetherby Town Council also being denied speaking rights (despite actually being registered).
Better Wetherby issued a press release shortly after the meeting (click here), and a balanced article was published by a journalist who spoke to all parties immediately after the meeting (see YEP article)
*** Plans Panel meeting - Thursday 19th October, starting at 1.30pm****
The planning application to demolish the Mercure Hotel, and build a Lidl Store and a Care Home, is being considered by the Leeds Plan Panel on Thu 19th Oct.
The meeting will be taking place in the Civic Hall, Calverley Street, Leeds, LS1 1UR, starting at 1.30pm. Members of the public are welcome to attend, the meeting should also be available to view online. Full details, including the agenda are available on the Leeds Council website. Note that the Lidl application is the only planning application being discussed at this meeting.
You may well have heard that the Leeds Planners are recommending refusal of this application (see the planners recommendation here), however the final decision will be taken by the councillors at this meeting. BW were pleased to see that the planners report recognised BW comments, and also confirmed that BW DO NOT object to a Lidl store in Wetherby, and also that there are no vested interest within BW (see yellow highlights in extract of planners report below)
Roger Owen (BW Chair) has registered to speak at this meeting and will outline why we believe that this application should be rejected. Watch this space for further information and a report of the meeting outcomne
The meeting will be taking place in the Civic Hall, Calverley Street, Leeds, LS1 1UR, starting at 1.30pm. Members of the public are welcome to attend, the meeting should also be available to view online. Full details, including the agenda are available on the Leeds Council website. Note that the Lidl application is the only planning application being discussed at this meeting.
You may well have heard that the Leeds Planners are recommending refusal of this application (see the planners recommendation here), however the final decision will be taken by the councillors at this meeting. BW were pleased to see that the planners report recognised BW comments, and also confirmed that BW DO NOT object to a Lidl store in Wetherby, and also that there are no vested interest within BW (see yellow highlights in extract of planners report below)
Roger Owen (BW Chair) has registered to speak at this meeting and will outline why we believe that this application should be rejected. Watch this space for further information and a report of the meeting outcomne
*** March 2023 - LIDL re-submits application ***
As we indicated below, it was not too much of a surprise (other than the speed of re-submission) to see that Lidl have re-submitted their application for a supermarket and care home. News of this came via press stories on 10-March, which emphasised possible new jobs in the area and was followed up by mailings to Wetherby residents over the following few days.
The actual submission did not appear on Leeds Planning Portal until 21-March (Ref 23/01507/FU). The planning application was been described in the Yorkshire Post as " ...a very cynical attempt at manipulating the planning system to Lidl’s advantage... " and also pointed out that " ... The new plan is almost identical to the old apart from a couple of very hard to spot tweaks, which could have been done as amendments rather than a withdrawal and resubmission. Lidl are playing games with the system... "
Better Wetherby agree with the Yorkshire Post conclusion: " ...Why have they done this? I think it is an attempt to cancel the over 150 previous objectors' because some people will not understand that they need to send in fresh objections... ” ; and would therefore urge people to make their feelings known via the Leeds planning portal, ref 23/01507/231. It does also appear from documents on the LCC portal that comments are being accepted via email to "[email protected]"
Alternatively you can send your comments via post to:
Planning Services
Leeds City Council
Merrion House
110 Merrion Centre
Leeds
LS2 8BB
Note that you must include your name, address and reference number (23/01507/FU)
Better Wetherby would like to emphasise again that, as indicated below, we are not opposed to a Lidl supermarket being built in Wetherby - it simply needs to be in the correct place and in accordance with Leeds and Wetherby planning policies!
We did submit an objection a few months ago (see here for details), but unfortunately Lidl's actions in withdrawing/resubmitting means that all previous objections are removed from the system - we will be resubmitting very soon! (Now submitted!!! - see here for details ) It is interesting to note that the original planning application received a total of approx. 20 support comments in two months or so prior to withdrawal, yet the current application somehow managed to receive the same number of (virtually identically worded) support comments in the first 3 days of it appearing on the Leeds portal.
Please note that the closing date for comments was originally 2nd May but now appears to have been extended to 12th May 2023
The actual submission did not appear on Leeds Planning Portal until 21-March (Ref 23/01507/FU). The planning application was been described in the Yorkshire Post as " ...a very cynical attempt at manipulating the planning system to Lidl’s advantage... " and also pointed out that " ... The new plan is almost identical to the old apart from a couple of very hard to spot tweaks, which could have been done as amendments rather than a withdrawal and resubmission. Lidl are playing games with the system... "
Better Wetherby agree with the Yorkshire Post conclusion: " ...Why have they done this? I think it is an attempt to cancel the over 150 previous objectors' because some people will not understand that they need to send in fresh objections... ” ; and would therefore urge people to make their feelings known via the Leeds planning portal, ref 23/01507/231. It does also appear from documents on the LCC portal that comments are being accepted via email to "[email protected]"
Alternatively you can send your comments via post to:
Planning Services
Leeds City Council
Merrion House
110 Merrion Centre
Leeds
LS2 8BB
Note that you must include your name, address and reference number (23/01507/FU)
Better Wetherby would like to emphasise again that, as indicated below, we are not opposed to a Lidl supermarket being built in Wetherby - it simply needs to be in the correct place and in accordance with Leeds and Wetherby planning policies!
We did submit an objection a few months ago (see here for details), but unfortunately Lidl's actions in withdrawing/resubmitting means that all previous objections are removed from the system - we will be resubmitting very soon! (Now submitted!!! - see here for details ) It is interesting to note that the original planning application received a total of approx. 20 support comments in two months or so prior to withdrawal, yet the current application somehow managed to receive the same number of (virtually identically worded) support comments in the first 3 days of it appearing on the Leeds portal.
Please note that the closing date for comments was originally 2nd May but now appears to have been extended to 12th May 2023
*** January 2023 - LIDL withdraws application ***
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BW are pleased to hear that Lidl withdrew their planning application, however no reason was given. It is slightly concerning that Leeds planners included the following in the withdrawal notice:
Important: Because the application has been withdrawn the applicant may submit, without paying a fee, one further application for the same character or description of development on the same site, or part of that site, within 12 months of the original submission date, provided that there has not already been a “free go”. We do suspect that Lidl may resubmit again, perhaps they were surprised at the number of objections received? |
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Lidl 'objection' from BW
We have recently submitted a response to the formal planning application for the proposed Lidl store - full details, and download are available here.
Lidl Application
Our July newsletter reported our thoughts on the proposed application by Lidl to build a new supermarket on the edge of Wetherby. This was followed up by an article in Wetherby News
It was subsequently dicussed at length on social media (Facebook -Wetherby Grumbler) with a wide range of comments.
Roger Owen, Chair of Better Wetherby Partnership (BW) has responded to Social Media comments following the recent BW Newsletter and Press Release which opposed the Lidl plan for a store and retirement accommodation on the site of the existing Mercure Hotel.
BETTER WETHERBY RESPONDS TO LIDL CRITICISMS.
“I have seen a short but loud outbreak of comments about the position BW has taken, some of which are incorrect in the interpretation of what we said, some made out of lack of knowledge of the Planning system, some made out of a lack of knowledge as to what BW is about and others directed at what are seen as my personal interests. I want to correct those matters.”
“Firstly, BW is not opposed to a Lidl store in Wetherby but we are opposed to the development of a store on the Mercure site which is all we tried to say in our releases. Ten years have passed since J. Sainsbury had their Planning Application for this site refused, the principal, amongst other reasons, was such a development would be detrimental to the vitality and viability of the Town Centre and I think it is significant that Sainsbury did not appeal the Refusal. Being very experienced in these matters they clearly would weigh up the chances of success and decided they could not succeed and rightly so in Planning terms”.
“As BW has pointed out, over recent times the Leeds Site Allocation Plan (SAP) has been examined and adopted as the ‘rule book’ as to what development should be allowed where and the Mercure site has not been allocated for retail, simply retirement type living. As Lidl have not deposited a Planning Application there is only the principle to discuss and the SAP says, pure and simple, no retail. If Lidl were to come up with a site which could gain Planning Consent, fair enough but Mercure is not it, this is an important gateway to the Town, in a conservation area setting. In addition to the SAP allocation the site could be redeveloped with a modern hotel as some on Social Media have suggested”.
“Secondly there have been some suggestions BW are against development in any form, not true. Having made representations about Racecourse Approach / Swinnow Park which was allocated in the SAP for 1100 homes, followed by representations to Leeds City around the first 800 homes by Taylor Wimpey, BW have worked for the last two years with the Developer to get the best we can for the Town and future residents by close examination of the fifty or so Conditions which the Developer has to satisfy before Reserved Matters Planning Consent is granted and they can start construction which will run to around 2035. Through this BW has been surprised with the lack of knowledge in the Town as to the stress this development will put on services, highways, air quality and schools. At the Dickensian Market last December many residents didn’t know of the development and wanted to know how it could be stopped. The answer is it can’t and neither can the remaining 300 homes which are yet to be applied for by Persimmon. What BW has done is hold the Developer to providing as much an exemplar scheme as we can and those on Social Media should know as a Partnership we have Ward Councillors, the Town Council, Wetherby Civic Society and associates in Kirk Deighton, Collingham and Linton alongside us. The Racecourse development will have massive impact but those involved have all been united in our discussions with the developer who has been co-operative and receptive”.
“In other areas BW was successful in fighting the Planning Appeal of Stockeld Estate to build over 200 homes adjoining the Bellway development on Spofforth Hill. In January, 2017 I had been told by Harrogate B.C. that the aim of Stockeld was some 1500 homes between Spofforth and the Wetherby boundary and BW saw the Application we fought as, rightly or wrongly, being a prelude to a massive development putting more strain on our Town”.
“BW and our partners are not just about Planning issues and we are not NIMBYs, we are very much involved in other areas, for example, the proper restitution of Bridleways and footpaths around Harland Way and the Bellway development, Green issues and sustainability in partnership with local Green Groups and so on”.
“We are a Company limited by guarantee, indicating we are a not for profit organisation, all our people are volunteers and, as our Newsletter regularly says, we are looking for more talent. If people put themselves forward and we feel they can contribute they would see what we are about and then perhaps not be quite so quick to hit their keyboards.” (see also 'About us')
Mr. Owen went on to say “There has also been comment about my involvement with the Lidl situation having an element of self interest given my previous employment as Group Property Director of Morrisons. Yes, I sat on the Main Board for 22 years and in the days of the Company as a Plc, I was second longest serving to Sir Ken himself but I retired in January 2009 and resigned as Chair of the Morrison Charitable Trust, Chair of the Insurance subsidiary and Director of some smaller subsidiary companies at the same time. My wife and I retained a small number of shares which were disposed of at the start of the current year when Morrisons were taken over by an American Private Equity Group and went private. I have no remaining interests in the Group”.
We have recently submitted a response to the formal planning application for the proposed Lidl store - full details, and download are available here.
Lidl Application
Our July newsletter reported our thoughts on the proposed application by Lidl to build a new supermarket on the edge of Wetherby. This was followed up by an article in Wetherby News
It was subsequently dicussed at length on social media (Facebook -Wetherby Grumbler) with a wide range of comments.
Roger Owen, Chair of Better Wetherby Partnership (BW) has responded to Social Media comments following the recent BW Newsletter and Press Release which opposed the Lidl plan for a store and retirement accommodation on the site of the existing Mercure Hotel.
BETTER WETHERBY RESPONDS TO LIDL CRITICISMS.
“I have seen a short but loud outbreak of comments about the position BW has taken, some of which are incorrect in the interpretation of what we said, some made out of lack of knowledge of the Planning system, some made out of a lack of knowledge as to what BW is about and others directed at what are seen as my personal interests. I want to correct those matters.”
“Firstly, BW is not opposed to a Lidl store in Wetherby but we are opposed to the development of a store on the Mercure site which is all we tried to say in our releases. Ten years have passed since J. Sainsbury had their Planning Application for this site refused, the principal, amongst other reasons, was such a development would be detrimental to the vitality and viability of the Town Centre and I think it is significant that Sainsbury did not appeal the Refusal. Being very experienced in these matters they clearly would weigh up the chances of success and decided they could not succeed and rightly so in Planning terms”.
“As BW has pointed out, over recent times the Leeds Site Allocation Plan (SAP) has been examined and adopted as the ‘rule book’ as to what development should be allowed where and the Mercure site has not been allocated for retail, simply retirement type living. As Lidl have not deposited a Planning Application there is only the principle to discuss and the SAP says, pure and simple, no retail. If Lidl were to come up with a site which could gain Planning Consent, fair enough but Mercure is not it, this is an important gateway to the Town, in a conservation area setting. In addition to the SAP allocation the site could be redeveloped with a modern hotel as some on Social Media have suggested”.
“Secondly there have been some suggestions BW are against development in any form, not true. Having made representations about Racecourse Approach / Swinnow Park which was allocated in the SAP for 1100 homes, followed by representations to Leeds City around the first 800 homes by Taylor Wimpey, BW have worked for the last two years with the Developer to get the best we can for the Town and future residents by close examination of the fifty or so Conditions which the Developer has to satisfy before Reserved Matters Planning Consent is granted and they can start construction which will run to around 2035. Through this BW has been surprised with the lack of knowledge in the Town as to the stress this development will put on services, highways, air quality and schools. At the Dickensian Market last December many residents didn’t know of the development and wanted to know how it could be stopped. The answer is it can’t and neither can the remaining 300 homes which are yet to be applied for by Persimmon. What BW has done is hold the Developer to providing as much an exemplar scheme as we can and those on Social Media should know as a Partnership we have Ward Councillors, the Town Council, Wetherby Civic Society and associates in Kirk Deighton, Collingham and Linton alongside us. The Racecourse development will have massive impact but those involved have all been united in our discussions with the developer who has been co-operative and receptive”.
“In other areas BW was successful in fighting the Planning Appeal of Stockeld Estate to build over 200 homes adjoining the Bellway development on Spofforth Hill. In January, 2017 I had been told by Harrogate B.C. that the aim of Stockeld was some 1500 homes between Spofforth and the Wetherby boundary and BW saw the Application we fought as, rightly or wrongly, being a prelude to a massive development putting more strain on our Town”.
“BW and our partners are not just about Planning issues and we are not NIMBYs, we are very much involved in other areas, for example, the proper restitution of Bridleways and footpaths around Harland Way and the Bellway development, Green issues and sustainability in partnership with local Green Groups and so on”.
“We are a Company limited by guarantee, indicating we are a not for profit organisation, all our people are volunteers and, as our Newsletter regularly says, we are looking for more talent. If people put themselves forward and we feel they can contribute they would see what we are about and then perhaps not be quite so quick to hit their keyboards.” (see also 'About us')
Mr. Owen went on to say “There has also been comment about my involvement with the Lidl situation having an element of self interest given my previous employment as Group Property Director of Morrisons. Yes, I sat on the Main Board for 22 years and in the days of the Company as a Plc, I was second longest serving to Sir Ken himself but I retired in January 2009 and resigned as Chair of the Morrison Charitable Trust, Chair of the Insurance subsidiary and Director of some smaller subsidiary companies at the same time. My wife and I retained a small number of shares which were disposed of at the start of the current year when Morrisons were taken over by an American Private Equity Group and went private. I have no remaining interests in the Group”.
