Date fixed to end Sheringham supermarket saga

Sheringham's long running supermarket store wars could now be resolved on December 17.

That is the date when North Norfolk District Council's west area development committee is due to discuss and decide on two rival plans.

Tesco's long-running bid to put a store on the Cromer Road is going head to head with local landowner Clive Hay-Smith's scheme for an eco-store with a linked food academy on former allotment land on the Weybourne Road.

Planning officer Geoff Lyon said it was hoped to flag up a recommendation ahead of the meeting in a report and agenda due to be published five working days beforehand.

Any decision in line with policy could be taken by the west committee, but if it went against policy there would have to be a referral to a new combined committee in the New Year.

Tesco's revised scheme involves a 1,175sq m store, five smaller shops and two flats in plans revamped by top award-winning architects after earlier concerns about the design.

The retail giant has been trying to build a store in town for more than 15 years and has faced vocal opposition over the feared impact on the vitality of the existing town centre.

The Greenhouse scheme for a 1,250 sq m scheme would involve electric delivery vans and shuttle buses, with a share of the profits, or any sale price if it was taken on by a recognised operator, going to a community fund.

It faces having to overcome planning policy hurdles at its edge-of-town location near the Splash pool.

Both applicants, and people with strong views for and against each scheme, have been involved in a war of words, including in the letters column of the local Press, about the merits of the two schemes for months.

The committee agenda will take an overview of the pros and cons in an effort to come to a decision on purely planning grounds.