Lidl has submitted two planning applications to City of York Council linked to its dream of taking over the former TK Maxx and Argos sites at Monks Cross, next to the existing Sainsbury’s supermarket.
The first application (ref: 23/02200/FULM) is for a food store with drive-thru restaurant, while the second (ref: 24/00058/ADV) is for a serious of signs for the proposed new store.
An earlier application by Lidl was approved by planners, but this amended application is for a larger store at the same Huntington site.
Supermarket giant Sainsbury’s is against Lidl moving in next door on a series of grounds, not least because Lidl “will provide cheaper products”, states Stephen Topham, Sainsbury’s store manager for Monks Cross, in an objection letter to planners.
Mr Topham also says he is also concerned that the drive-thru element could lead to litter and anti-social behaviour. He is also worried about the impact of the store on the landscape of the site.
Huntington Parish Council members are also against the scheme, on environmental grounds. The council says under the current application Lidl wants to demolish the existing building to create a new store, which they say is unnecessary and unwarranted given the climate emergency. In an objection letter to planners, the parish council states: “An annual audit of England’s heritage suggests that buildings should instead by upgraded and reused to save energy. It claims that by ‘thoughtfully adapting’ an old building in the right way, CO2 emissions could be reduced by more than 60 per cent.”
In its planning statement supporting the application, Rapleys, for Lidl, state that the principle of redevelopment of a vacant and previously developed site is supported by local and national planning policy and that the proposed development will “deliver significant economic benefits to the area and offer new employment opportunities for local residents”.
It concludes: “The development is accessible by sustainable transport means and will not result in any severe impact on the highway network or other elements of the transport network.
“The indicative design, layout and landscaping of the scheme will create an attractive development, which is in keeping with the character of the surrounding area.
“Appropriate tree planting and landscaping will be included as part of the development, this will result in a biodiversity net gain and create new habitats.”
The site of the proposed foodstore, which measures approximately 1.26 ha, comprises the former TK Maxx and Argos retail units and associated parking which have been vacant since the start of the pandemic in March 2020.
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