COMMUNITY leaders have made a U-turn and today given their backing to the first of three new superstores proposed for Felixstowe.
Town councillors had recommended refusal for Albourne Property’s plans for a 30,000sq ft supermarket at the railway station because of the potential impact on people living in High Road West.
Now the council has altered its views because it feels revised plans, moving the building further away from homes and lowering ground levels to reduce its height, have overcome the most serious objections.
It agreed six votes to one to recommend approval, subject to conditions including a traffic light system for lorries leaving the site, and agreeement over the design of the Garrison Lane corner public space.
Two other superstores are also proposed – the council has recommended refusal for Tesco’s project for a similar-sized store at Walton Green, but has not yet considered moves for a 20,000sq ft store at Haven Exchange.
Councillors were told the “sinking” of the proposed store off Station Approach into the ground would make it appear 2.6m lower. It would also be four metres from garden fences instead of the original 1.5m.
The service yard had been altered and there would now be no night-time deliveries.
Lorries would enter via Garrison Lane, and exit from the same point – not onto High Road West as originally proposed – and turn left, going out of town via Langer Road and Walton Avenue.
Mayor Mike Deacon though was still very unhappy about the proposal.
He said: “I think this will still have a huge impact on residents. Would you like to wake up, pull back your curtains and have that facing you at the bottom of your gardens? It’s still far too big.”
He felt small retail or business units would be a better use for the site.
Councillor Doreen Savage said: “We cannot keep going on and on refusing things because we don’t like them – this is a brownfield site in the town centre and the issues we raised in the first instance as relevant have now been addressed very satisfactorily.”
Deputy mayor Jan Garfield said a lot of effort had been made to reduce the bulk of the building.
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