Plans for a pedestrian crossing required before Stone’s new FoodCoop supermarket can open have yet to be submitted for approval, Staffordshire County Council has confirmed.
The supermarket on Lichfield Road had been due to welcome its first customers on Thursday 29 October, but the opening was postponed just days beforehand.
Following enquiries by A Little Bit of Stone, both Stafford Borough Council and Staffordshire County Council have confirmed that planning requirements relating to the wider development remain outstanding, including highway safety works that must be completed before the retail units can open.
Crossing plans have not been submitted
The planning permission for the development includes a requirement for a new zebra crossing on Lichfield Road, additional street lighting and relocation of the 30mph speed limit signs.
However, Staffordshire County Council has confirmed that the developer has not yet submitted the necessary designs for approval.
The county council told A Little Bit of Stone: “No details or designs have been submitted to the Highway Authority for review or approval.”
It confirmed that the crossing, street lighting and speed limit works have not been agreed or delivered, and that the necessary highway agreements and technical approvals are not in place.
The developer must first submit the relevant details to Stafford Borough Council to address planning condition 13 before the highway approval process can progress.
The county council added: “No programme or completion date has been agreed with the Highway Authority as the required details have not yet been submitted.”
Responsibility for delivering and funding the highway improvements rests with the developer, the authority confirmed.
Planning conditions prevent the retail units opening
The requirement for a pedestrian crossing dates back to the original outline planning permission granted in October 2019.
A subsequent planning approval in December 2023 amended the highway requirements, including specifying a zebra crossing, but retained a restriction on bringing the development into use before the works were completed.
Stafford Borough Council has confirmed to A Little Bit of Stone that this condition remains in force, has not been discharged and must be satisfied before the retail units can open.
The borough council also confirmed that other outstanding conditions, including works relating to the former roadside lay-by, would prevent the retail units from opening.
In a statement, the council said: “We are working with the company, in conjunction with Staffordshire County Council, to ensure that important planning conditions, including those relating to highway safety, are addressed before the retail unit opens.”
FoodCoop says delay involves wider development
FoodCoop has confirmed that the postponement is linked to requirements associated with the wider development, rather than one individual planning condition.
A spokesperson told A Little Bit of Stone: “The postponement is not the result of any single planning condition.
“As previously mentioned, due to circumstances outside our control, we are currently unable to proceed with the planned opening of our new store on Lichfield Road.
“The delay relates to requirements associated with the wider development, which need to be resolved before the store can open. As a tenant of the site, we are working closely with the relevant parties to support the quickest possible resolution.”
The retailer said it shared the disappointment of local people who had been looking forward to the opening and would provide an update when further information became available.
What about the planned homes?
The Lichfield Road development was approved as a mixed-use scheme, with permission for five retail units and 21 affordable homes.
While the retail buildings have been constructed, work on the residential element has yet to begin.
The planning documents reviewed by A Little Bit of Stone do not identify a requirement for the homes to be completed before the retail units, or for the shops to open before the housing is built.
However, the two elements form part of the wider development, which is subject to planning conditions covering access and highway improvements.
The original Section 106 agreement also contains obligations relating to the affordable housing.
No revised opening date
The developer is responsible for delivering the required highway works, but there is currently no agreed programme for completing them.
A Little Bit of Stone has contacted the planning agent named in the development’s planning applications, seeking clarification on the outstanding works and the timetable for the residential element. No response had been received at the time of publication.
FoodCoop has confirmed that it cannot yet provide a revised opening date for the supermarket.
Staffordshire County Council says the necessary highway proposals must first be submitted and agreed before the works can progress.
See more A Little Bit of Stone in Google
Add A Little Bit of Stone as a Preferred Source to make our stories more likely to appear when you search Google.
Related Posts:
