Asda refused permission for a new store in Norwich

An artist's impression of plans for a new Asda supermarket off Hall Road in Norwich.

Dan Grimmer Thursday, September 20, 2012
4:04 PM

Asda has dramatically been refused permission for a new superstore in Norwich.

The Hall Road site for the proposed new Asda store.

Norwich City Council’s planning committee today decided to refuse permission for the store at the old Bally Shoe Factory site in Hall Road, which Asda bosses said would have created 300 jobs.

But the committee decided by five votes to four to reject the scheme, saying the superstore was too dominant for a district centre, the plans did not make best use of a brownfield site, protected trees would be removed, and pedestrian access was not good enough. Another reason for refusal was the dominance of the car park.

The store would have had a net floor space of 3,406 square metres and would have formed part of a new district centre, also including a pub, a community centre, a gym, a 334-space car park, four industrial units and four units which could have been used for retail, takeaways or cafes.

Representatives for Chapelfield Shopping Centre had also raised concerns the development could threaten the vitality of the city centre.

While officers at City Hall said the level of floor space in the superstore would be “disproportionately large”, they said councillors had to balance their decision with the other economic and community benefits the development would bring.

Asda had said up to 300 jobs would be provided within the superstore, and a further 125 over the rest of the development.

The scheme had been backed by a number of families who live in nearby Tuckswood and Lakenham, who were looking forward to the jobs it would create and having a superstore on their doorsteps.

Asda, which held public exhibitions on the plans last December, had said the proposals include much more than just providing a superstore and would regenerate a “significant location” in the city.

As reported in the Norwich Evening News, the development plans for the area were put on hold for several years after the recession put an original £122m plan for the Harford Place site on hold.

See tomorrow’s paper for the full story.

41 comments

I have a plan Put it on the Pinebanks site No problems with planning permission in Broadland

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No to tory boy

Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Bet if it was Tesco they would have got permission!!! An Asda there would have been great. I hope they appeal.

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Michelle Reece

Sunday, September 23, 2012
Bet if it was Tesco they would have got permission!!! An Asda there would have been great. I hope they appeal.

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Michelle Reece

Sunday, September 23, 2012
NRG. Rogers is probably a useless global warming researcher from the UEA to spout tripe like that. Probably the only job he could get !

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"V"

Friday, September 21, 2012
what planet are these people on? never mind that we might want an Asda this side of Norwich, never mind the jobs it would have created in construction, and running the store, never mind it would have created someting nice and good in a run down area, just refuse it on some trumped up reason :(

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catalonia13

Friday, September 21, 2012
Brenda and her little gang of luvvies don't get off lightly either, two nulabour luvvies couldn't be 'bovverd' to turn up in to swing the vote in favor of jobs....nuLabour isn't working and they are all unfit for purpose..simples.

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nrg

Friday, September 21, 2012
Staggering comment from one of the green thingy's that voted down the jobs and supermarket. David Rogers, Green councillor for Nelson ward...“If you look at the latest satellite pictures of the North Pole you can see the ice shrinking in front of your eyes. We should not be encouraging projects like this, which burn up fuel.” This party and its people are dangerous and all raving bonkers...who in their right mind votes for these twits???????

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nrg

Friday, September 21, 2012
I have no view on the rights or wrongs of the decision. It will probably be won on appeal anyway. But 300 new jobs? How ridiculous. Supermarkets don't create many extra new jobs, they simply redistribute them from somewhere else. That supermarket would turnover several hundred £million a year, maybe more. Do people seriously think that those customers have suddenly found all that extra money under their mattresses? It's money that would have been spent somewhere else. A lot of it in other supermarkets for sure, but a decent sum at little shops along Hall Rd, or lakenham or other nearby neighbourhoods.

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Tom Jeffries

Friday, September 21, 2012
Carol good post, I'd add the ASDA would probably be be open 247 as well unlike Sainsbury's and Morrisons. I live in the city centre and like all monopolies they destroy choice and not foster them. I think Poundland are behind this, they have huge profits sell products on false advertising as bigger and better value but often smaller size and thus worse value. What I've heard of walmartasda though with sweatshops, no big business is good truth be told, but I have little money, we need a revolution haha.

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ad h

Friday, September 21, 2012
Totally crazy Norwich city council how much did Chapel field pay you to refuse this?

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Mark Hayes

Thursday, September 20, 2012
So Chapelfield see it as threat to the vitality of the city centre. What a joke! I don't remember seeing a supermarket in Chapelfield or Castle Mall..... I rarely visit the city centre anyway, I can get almost everything I need from the Queens Road Sainsbury's, or Morrisons at Riverside, with free parking too. An Asda on the doorstep would have been very nice, along with a few other small retail outlets. A bit more choice for the locals, within walking distance, and a huge boost to the local economy.

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Carol Bolton

Thursday, September 20, 2012
So at 3406 square metres, the store was "too dominant" for a district centre? I would call Tesco Blue Boar lane a district centre and it has 10153.8 square metres - Go figure that one out!

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IT Man

Thursday, September 20, 2012
Well this was a surprise! What happened to all the previous plans then? Had they not been agreed? It was supposed to be finished in the next 18 months or so, and now it's not going ahead at all! Surely they could have just asked Asda to reduce the size of their development? That area is a disgrace. We also live locally and walk past it every day. And why on EARTH have they got 247 security men on site, living in their little van!! There's surely nothing there worth nicking! It's a prime site going to waste. Glad I've never voted Green or Lib Dem. Can't trust either of em.... I bet they have a hidden agenda, and it won't be anything to benefit mere members of the public like you and me!

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Carol Bolton

Thursday, September 20, 2012
What a shame,if you live in this area you have the choice to walk,bus,or car,it would have been an excellent idea to have a shop closer to the LakenhamTuckswood housing estates.Also Notcutts and Aldis cafes are always very busy,so it is obvious people would like more of this here instead of keep going to the city which has lots of visitors now and makes parking difficult.Oh well doesnt surprise me,one day maybe!!!!!!

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foxey

Thursday, September 20, 2012
Kind of hypocritcal isn't it given the empty retail units in Norwich caused by the opening of Chapelfield shopping centre? Schuh is the lastest shop to abandon one of it's doubled up outlets in the city whist staying in Chapelfield due to the longer lease.

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NigelS

Thursday, September 20, 2012
Oh well, when the shops at Chuckle Field start becoming boarded up, then Asda can move in there.

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Bruce87

Thursday, September 20, 2012
Crazy decision !!. 300 jobs plus all the jobs during construction, walk past the place everyday such an eyesore, does Norwich council not believe in re generation ?

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Simon Creevy

Thursday, September 20, 2012
Crazy decision !!. 300 jobs plus all the jobs during construction, walk past the place everyday such an eyesore, does Norwich council not believe in re generation ?

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Simon Creevy

Thursday, September 20, 2012
I have to agree with the vast majority of posts, it is difficult to understand what the reasoning is behind this decision. It would have brightened and livened up the area and provided much needed investment in an area that desperately needs it. What a missed opportunity :-(

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Jaguar

Thursday, September 20, 2012
I have to agree with the vast majority of posts, it is difficult to understand what the reasoning is behind this decision. It would have brightened and livened up the area and provided much needed investment in an area that desperately needs it. What a missed opportunity :-(

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Jaguar

Thursday, September 20, 2012
Crazy decision !!. 300 jobs plus all the jobs during construction, walk past the place everyday such an eyesore, does Norwich council not believe in re generation ?

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Simon Creevy

Thursday, September 20, 2012
Cue for Tesco to be accepted

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Jacob Burns

Thursday, September 20, 2012
Kerching! Where were the rest of the planning committee if only nine voted? This should be carried out again with the full representation present.

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Honest John

Thursday, September 20, 2012
So it was the Greens and Liberal Democrats that turned down this decision, well what more could anyone expect from them both. Perhaps they both have some brilliant idea what to do with a derelict eyesore of a site and at the same time create some 300 badly needed jobs.

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mike smith

Thursday, September 20, 2012
if it was a tesco , there would be no need for permission in norwich as tesco obviously pay out big enough bonus box's to our councillors . please dont delete this comment as its only what half of the general norwich public feel . why is it one rule for tesco's and another for other shops . this decision stinks !

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adinorwich

Thursday, September 20, 2012
if it was a tesco , there would be no need for permission in norwich as tesco obviously pay out big enough bonus box's to our councillors . please dont delete this comment as its only what half of the general norwich public feel . why is it one rule for tesco's and another for other shops . this decision stinks !

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adinorwich

Thursday, September 20, 2012
did i read right? chaple field raised concerns it would upset the vitality of the city.... they didnt then when they built that huge lump right in the middle of the city then ? there was no reason to refuse as i see it

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trev

Thursday, September 20, 2012
Have I got this right? Quote “But the committee decided by five votes to four to reject the scheme, saying the superstore was too dominant for a district centre and dominant car park. The proposed incinerator at Kings Lynn will overshadow and pollutants follow the prevailing wind over the town. 300 foot chimney stack”. Extra 1000 plus Lorries per week. Stress anxiety caused and 35 permanent jobs. The mind boggles!

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Alan Allan

Thursday, September 20, 2012
What a pathetic decision by people who obviously do not live in the real world. I thought we needed to create jobs, not leave eyesore sites undeveloped. Who elects these idiots?

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Tractorboy

Thursday, September 20, 2012
What a pathetic decision by people who obviously do not live in the real world. I thought we needed to create jobs, not leave eyesore sites undeveloped. Who elects these idiots?

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Tractorboy

Thursday, September 20, 2012
asda own brand chocolate--try it.it is 30p for 100g.sometimes reduced to 17p.

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bookworm

Thursday, September 20, 2012
i normally hate change but cannot believe this was turned down.gutted.

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bookworm

Thursday, September 20, 2012
Maybe the committee members are waiting for a huge housing development to be put there. So they can slap their back pockets just like in the ASDA adverts, to pocket the difference of another kind. (Allegedly)

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chebram71

Thursday, September 20, 2012
Just so everybody on here knows, it was the Greens teaming up with the Lib Dems who voted to refuse the Asda planning application, which could result in the loss of 300 new jobs. All the Labour councillors voted in favour of the proposed store, as we care for jobs for local people.

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Paul Kendrick

Thursday, September 20, 2012
I don't want another supermarket , but others might. If Asda didn't think they would make money out of it then they wouldn't plan it. So, what will happen is appeal after appeal and the tax payer will payout. The democracy in the Uk is through the till and not the ballot box .

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augustuspablo

Thursday, September 20, 2012
Surely this cant be the end of the matter. Up till now, almost everyone and their dog thought that this was a good way to revitalise an area that used to employ many people, and add some modern facilities to a wasteland. There must be more to this than the very sketchy report published.

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Abraham

Thursday, September 20, 2012
So 300 new jobs could have been created meaning more money coming into the city centre from those workers - this is a very short-sighted decision, no doubt by people who have never shopped at Asda! I live very close to the proposed site and I walk past the old Bally factory each day - what a wasted opportunity to breath live into the area and give us locals more of a community hub. So, instead of more 'local' trips to a large new supermaket, continued trips by car will be required for all those living in Lakenham and Tuckswood - Norwich a green city? Of course Asda will fight the decision as they know how much capacity there is in the area for their second store!

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Engle1970

Thursday, September 20, 2012
So 300 new jobs could have been created meaning more money coming into the city centre from those workers - this is a very short-sighted decision, no doubt by people who have never shopped at Asda! I live very close to the proposed site and I work past the old Bally factory each day - what a wasted opportunity to breath live into the area and give us locals more of a community hub. So, instead of more 'local' trips to a large new supermaket, continued trips by car will be required for all those living in Lakenham and Tuckswood - Norwich a green city?

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Engle1970

Thursday, September 20, 2012
it would of gotten permission if it was called Tesco! Would be good to get Asda this side of the city!

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Grace

Thursday, September 20, 2012
Here we go again. Instead of trying to get Asda to amend their proposals the Council will now to have to fight an expensive. appeal. Spending council tax payers` money which they can ill afford. The only winners once again? The lawyers.

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BG

Thursday, September 20, 2012
if they can approve dozens of grotty housing estates why not an ASDA?my suspicions are aroused.

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bookworm

Thursday, September 20, 2012

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