The expansion of a County Durham retail park will create hundreds of new jobs and attract national retailers, writes Local Democracy Reporter, Bill Edgar.
Phase two of the Bishop Auckland Retail Park will go ahead after a planning committee approved plans on Wednesday (November 5).
The proposal includes four new retail units and car parking spaces, located to the west of the current site.
Retailers such as The Range, Home Bargains, PureGym, Greggs, TUI, Superbowl UK, a gaming facility and Popeyes are already open on the site, with a new cinema due to open next year. Several restaurants are also open.
A further 300 jobs are expected to be created through phase two of the retail park scheme.
A Durham County Council planning committee was told that several empty units in the town centre are unsuitable for national retailers due to building size requirements.
Fieldon Bridge Developments, the applicant, said: “The proposals will not unacceptably impact [the] regeneration objectives of bringing vacant property within the town centre back into active re-use, as the identified retailer requirements simply cannot be met by the existing town centre property stock.
“The proposals will secure representation in the town from national retailers who do not currently have outlets within Bishop Auckland, meaning residents of the town and the surrounding area will no longer need to travel to other locations to visit such retail outlets, thereby contributing to more sustainable shopping patterns.
“The proposed development will not unacceptably impact the vitality of the town centre.”
Access to the development site would be provided from the existing roundabout built as part of the initial development, which leads to the main access road.
Approving the proposal, Reform councillor Dawn Bellingham said: “This is a no-brainer. If we had objections from the town council due to vitality and viability, then there might have been a bit of toing and froing, but we haven’t. I think, because of the location and that it looks like another phase of what’s already there, I move this proposal for approval.”
Committee members unanimously agreed to approve the retail park’s expansion. Councillor James Stephenson, Reform member for Shildon and Dene Valley, said: “This is going to provide much-needed jobs for the area. The shops that are there already are well used by residents.”
Bill Edgar
Reporter for the Local Democracy Reporter Service.
Bishop Auckland's local community newspaper.
They need to do something about the traffic it’s bad now