Brigg Town Council's planning and environment committee and property committee meetings scheduled for Wednesday, December 8 have both been cancelled in favour of a full council meeting (open to all councillors) to consider the Tesco and Lidl planning applications to build new stores in the town.
This meeting will be in the Angel Suite, off Market Place, and is open to the public (7pm start).
Brigg town councillors do not have the power to decide such applications, but they can make their views known to the planning authority, North Lincolnshire Council, which will rule on the applications submitted by both retail giants. Town councillors can also put questions and highlight issues.
The meeting on December 8 will be the first at which councillors have discussed these plans in public. So if are interested in the applications and want to know what your representatives think, here's a golden opportunity. Some people in the town have voiced support for Tesco, especially as the firm is pledging many new jobs; others have signed a petition against the plans, believing a big Extra store could threaten some of Brigg's small shops; others have yet to make their minds up. We haven't heard many grumbles about Lidl's plans to build a new store at the top of Atherton Way, other than the access route for pedestrians across the A18 and the fact it's a bit further from the town centre.
Of course, there won't be a referendum in Brigg - North Lincolnshire planning committee councillors will make their own minds up, having received the usual recommendations on how to proceed from their specialist advisers. As always, they can go along with planning officers' views or take a different course.
As Brigg Blog has said before, we wonder how having a Tesco Extra store with thousands of cars a day entering and leaving along Cary Lane (via the lights), will affect traffic flow along the A18 Barnard Avenue. North Lincolnshire Council also happens to be the highway authority, as well as overseeing planning.
Make a date NOW in your diary/organiser - Brigg Meeting, December 8, 7pm, Angel Suite. This is a very important issue for our town and deserves a good turn-out.
TODAY, STILL NO TESCO AND LIDL APPLICATIONS ON THE NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE COUNCIL PLANNING PORTAL, SO WE CAN STUDY WHAT'S PROPOSED IN DETAIL.
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9 comments:
Isn't it a bit premature to arrange a Brigg TC meeting to discuss the applications when the applications have not yet been officially presented to NLC.
The respective Lidl and Tesco images are purely artist's impressions of what the plans could look like.
To have a formal meeting to consider artist's impressions can reduce impact and constructive criticism when the actual applications are submitted.
It's like buying a suit from a catalogue - at best, it's a guesstimate - one never knows the quality and feel until it arrives.
Shouldn't BTC wait until the official applications/plans are available for public perusal/scrutiny?
......secondly. since there are TWO major applications, shouldn't each application be aired separately at TWO different meetings?
'Right folks, since we have spent 2 hours talking about Tesco's artistic impression, we have 10 mins left to discuss Lidl's - be brief!!!'
.....and thirdly, since the Tesco and Lidl's emporiums are intended to attract customers from a wide catchment area, will non-Brigg residents/retailers be allowed to voice opinions?
It's a little short-sighted, in my opinion, if aliens are barred from taking an active interest.
.....and 4thly
'TESCO' + 'LIDL' = Is Clot Led!
Is it an omen?
I think we can expect the Lidl and Tesco applications to appear online very shortly - and obviously before Brigg Town Council meets to discuss the topic. It might be incorrect to suggest that the fact neither application is on North Lincolnshire Council's planning portal means neither firm has submitted the details, if you see what I mean. With all planning applications there must be a time delay between them arriving at the council and the information being prepared and then uploaded to the website. The "larger" the application, the more time you'd think it would take to process.
Now now Ken - you know very well that there is no way Brigg Town Council would ever respond to 'artists impressions' of a proposed planning application !!
As an ex-girl guide I was always taught to 'be prepared', and having done my homework with regard to when the plans were expected to be lodged, the Town Council agreed to re-arrange its meeting schedule in order to ensure that(if received)the formal planning applications could be given full and proper consideration, and within the required 21 day turnaround.
I can confirm that the plans are expected to be lodged this week, but they have to be validated by the Case Officer before they are published for public comment.
With regard to whether both applications should be considered at the same meeting, it is often the case that the council has more than one application to consider at the same meeting - so there is nothing unusual in there. On this occasion, Tesco and Lidl have been undertaking a degree of joint consultation, and have made it abundantly clear that, although the formal applications are to be lodged seperately, they are completely inter-dependent.
The Town Council meeting will be open to the general public, and as the applications are of a retail nature observations from residents of the Town's 'hinterland' will be equally admissable. Similarly, they have the right to submit their observayions direct, and to encourage their own Parish Council to make comment.
In the event that the plans are not published for public comment in time of the meeting on the 8th December I am sure that(in view of the Christmas break) North Lincolnshire Council would, if necessary, afford the Town Council 4/5 days grace for the plans to be considered at the next scheduled meeting on the 5th January 2011.
Incidently, the plans would have to arrive between 9th -17th December for the Town Council to need an extended response time.
Jeanette Woollard
Clerk,Brigg Town Council
JW
Thanks Jeanette - I understand now that both applications were submitted to NLC on Friday (26th) and, I believe they will be published on NLC Planning site next Friday, 3rd Dec.
Ps I wasn't a girl guide - Brown Owl wouldn't let me join!
Does that make her a Wise Brown Owl ? Sorry Ken, couldn't resist!
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