Town supermarket designs approved

DESIGNS for a new supermarket have been approved by councillors.

Retail giant Sainsbury's was given the thumbs-up over plans for its proposed Newcastle store.

The company initially won outline planning permission to create a new supermarket in 2007 as part of a wider scheme involving a new college, sports facilities, housing, petrol station and offices.

It will mean the closure of the existing Newcastle supermarket and the relocation of Newcastle College.

Full planning consent for the scheme was given last month, with matters relating to appearance and external landscaping reserved for a further decision.

That was taken last night, as Newcastle Borough Council's planning committee voted with officers' recommendations to approve designs, subject to conditions.

Deputy council leader Robin Studd told the meeting: "We have got to think not of retrospective things but for the future, and I think that is what we have got here."

A report by council officers had described the designs as a "visually acceptable building of an appropriate architectural quality" for a major route into the town centre.

Landscaping proposals were also deemed to be acceptable.

But Newcastle Civic Society had strongly objected to the proposal, stating that the design and materials were totally unsuitable for a key gateway site. Also unhappy was Thistleberry Residents' Association, which said materials were "ugly in the extreme" and that the overall impression of a large storage unit showed a lack of empathy for surrounding buildings.

Vice-chairman Chris Lakin, told the meeting in the council chamber of the town's civic offices that the designs had a look of impermanence.

He said: "At least the Morrisons and the old Sainsbury's gave the impression of commitment and a certain nod to the traditions of the town.

"The design appears to be cheap and nasty and lacking in any design quality."

The Sainsbury's store design has a glazed main frontage, metal roof and canopies over public entrances.

William Kumar, speaking for Sainsbury's, disagreed and pointed out that the plans had won praise after being scrutinised by Urban Vision.

He added: "Overall, the panel was very supportive of the proposals and felt that the supermarket was a quality design."

Elected members were shown samples of the type of materials expected to be used on the store, as well as drawings of the proposed building. After clarifying the situation with regard to disabled access and entry points, they conditionally approved the application.

Authority leader, councillor Simon Tagg, was pleased that the designs bore more of a resemblance to the company's Nantwich branch than the Stoke store.

He said: "We gave outline permission for a supermarket type of design and that is what we are going to get."

Amendments made to accommodate landscaping and changes to a petrol station mean that the store will have 449 parking spaces, 29 less than first planned.