Leiston: District council land sale could pave way for supermarket
Suffolk Coastal District Council approves plans for new homes in Leiston and Wickham Market - Credit: Archant
A district council is selling off a large piece of land which it says could be developed for shops – including a small supermarket.
Suffolk Coastal has put the site in Leiston on the market and believes it would be ideal for retail.
However whoever buys the land – which can be reached off High Street and Sizewell Road – would still need planning permission for such a development.
It is thought it could be suitable for a small supermarket, although detailed discussions would be needed about the design, management of parking and access to the site.
Robert Whiting, Suffolk Coastal District Council’s cabinet member for resources, said: “The sale of this land offers a great opportunity for an exciting new development, which could be a real boost for Leiston town centre.
“The land, which includes some undeveloped scrubland, is not being fully utilised in its current form.
“This gives a developer the opportunity to create new and useful facilities for the local community, like some much-needed extra shops.”
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The total size of the site up for grabs is 1.8acres, with the council owning about 1.32acres.
It consists of a car park off High Street, is bordered by an unused builder’s yard to the south and some scrubland and lock-up garages to the north.
It is being marketed jointly with a privately-owned piece of land, which fronts onto Sizewell Road.
In 2009, a study published by Suffolk Coastal revealed there was a shortage of retail space in Leiston.
The council has been off-loading a variety of assets over the last year or so in a bid to save money – with a number transferred to town or parish authorities.
Last year in the face of strong opposition retail giant Tesco abandoned a plan to build a 20,000sq ft supermarket at a site in Abbey Road in the town.
Opponents felt that the out-of-town location was wrong and would take footfall away from the main shopping area, severely damaging trade.
Chris Nichols, of Nichols family butchers, said he would be happy to see a retail development in the town.
But he added: “I wouldn’t want someone to buy it and then just sit on it. Something would need to be done sooner rather than later.”
A spokesman for Tesco said they were aware the land was on the market.
For more details of the council-owned land, contact Gary Lowe on 01394 444717 or at gary.lowe@suffolkcoastal.gov.uk. For the privately-owned land contact Oliver Johnson at Clark & Simpson on 01728 724200.
