PLANS for an Asda superstore and a drive-thru coffee shop in Salisbury will be discussed at a meeting next week.
On April 17, Wiltshire Council’s Strategic Planning Committee will discuss the scheme, for land at the Salisbury Retail Park, in London Road.
The supermarket giant wants to build a 4,657 sq m food store off the A30/Pearce roundabout.
As well as the supermarket, the plans include a 171 sq m drive-thru coffee shop unit, with proposed parking for 27 vehicles, and a petrol station.
New open space and a pedestrian and cycle link between London Road and Green Lane is also part of the scheme.
Salisbury City Council has objected to the plans, citing a “significant loss of a biodiverse site and biodiversity”, as well as the lack of EV charging points, extra traffic concerns and operating hours.
Laverstock and Ford Parish Council, however, supports the scheme with conditions, such as safe access for pedestrians and cyclists, a ban on night-time deliveries, security issues and more.
More than 150 people responded to the initial application, the committee report said, with a range of concerns raised, including traffic, pollution, impact on other shops, and parking issues, while others supported it.
The site has been the subject of a number of planning applications in recent decades, including a supermarket scheme approved in the 90s, and another in the 2000s.
How the Asda development layout could look, according to the planning application. Picture: Wiltshire Council/Asda/HGP
Those approvals, as well as the inclusion of the site as ‘brownfield’ and its inclusion in a previous planning document for retail use, make development difficult to oppose, the report said.
“As a result, the principle of development of the land would be difficult to refute, and its development for some form of large out-of-town retail use was considered to be acceptable up until recent years,” it added.
“Therefore, while members must consider this current retail application and its various impacts, the planning history and particularly the recent retail approval on the site, are material considerations of significant weight.”
A retail assessment by Wiltshire Council also said the plans, including the drive-thru coffee shop, would “not have an adverse impact on Salisbury city centre”, the report noted.
Officers conclude a refusal of the scheme on the “basis of the likely harm caused to the city centre retail activity would be difficult to justify”, as well as over concerns over traffic and other factors.
The committee will consider the plans at a meeting at 10.30am on Wednesday, April 17, at County Hall in Trowbridge.
It’s a great idea as takes the pressure off Southampton Road traffic. Plus couldn’t you have a bus service provided by Asda that goes from city centre to the store.
Why is a public meeting about Salisbury City being held in Trowbridge?
When will Wiltshire Council address the problem of Southampton Road traffic & Castle Road traffic
We need another supermarket in Salisbury generating more jobs in the area. We are inundated with Tesco owned stores. One stops are also owned by Tesco, Bookers yet again owned by Tesco.There needs to be better choice in the area. The need to take traffic away from the southampton road is a must too
A super market on this side of Salisbury would be great for the area and residents.
Why couldn’t we have a Supermarket on the Wilton side of Salisbury? It would be much convenient for people who live on that side of town,instead of having to try to battle through traffic jams and road closures every time we need groceries ect .
Hear, hear. Oodles of room too.