THE SECRETARY OF STATE HAS CALLED IN THE SAINSBURY’S APPLICATION SO THE DECISION IS NOW OUT OF T&W’s HANDS.
APPLICATION TO BUILD BIGGEST SUPERMARKET IN MIDLANDS ON GREEN FIELD LAND OUTSIDE TRADITIONAL MARKET TOWN ‘CALLED IN’ BY ERIC PICKLES, SECRETARY OF STATE
Secretary of State Eric Pickles, in a letter of 15 June 2012, to Telford and Wrekin Council, has informed them that he is calling-in the application for the Sainsbury’s superstore proposed for the green field site off Station Road in Newport. The matter will now be heard before a local public Inquiry where the Inspector will want to hear evidence relating to the consistency of the application with regard to the Telford development plan for the area and its conformity with policies contained in the recently published National Planning Policy Framework. The Inspector also has authority to call for evidence on any other matters the Inspector thinks are relevant.
The planning application has had massive local opposition as well as from other national conservation bodies.
On behalf of the Save Newport Campaign, Cllr. Adrian Meredith, Patrick Beech from Chamber of Commerce and David Parker, Chairman of Newport Regeneration Partnership, gave a warm but cautious welcome to the news of the decision to call-in this application, which will have national significance for similar cases across the country.
David Parker thanked all the residents who have given support and had expressed their opinion locally and nationally – which was now justified by the decision to call-in. He said ‘ This is welcome boost to our cause to protect our market town’s vital independent retail sector and although it is only a step along the way, given the many hundreds of applications that have not been called-in over the last 4 years or more, this shows that Newport is likely to be, in effect, a test case for the NPPF and the Localism Act 2011′.
Cllr. Meredith said that the call- in was justified given the unsatisfactory way that T&W had conducted both the application process and its failure to take into account the views of many of the local residents. We welcome the objective review of the case.
Patrick Beech said that the call-in gave the opportunity of the threats to the High St. caused by the applications to be heard by an Inspector independent of any financial benefits that might accrue to T&W from the application going ahead
