A decision on a council’s plan to convert a former household waste site into an Aldi supermarket and Wendy’s drive-through has been delayed after councillors voted against it.
At West Suffolk Council’s development control committee this afternoon, members voted with a mind to refuse the authority’s planning application for the site on Rougham Hill, in Bury St Edmunds.
The proposals had been recommended for approval by officers, although councillors disagreed.
Plans for an Aldi and Wendy’s drive-through have split an authority. Picture: West Suffolk Council
Eight voted against the application, four in favour while one councillor abstained.
This means the application has been effectively deferred, with more information due at a future meeting.
The main reason for the decision was the plans not meeting ‘Excellent’ Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) standards, which is mandatory according to the council’s own guidelines.
Cllr Richard Rout opposed the plans. Picture: Mark Westley
In addition, there were concerns that Active Travel Plan measures were also not met.
Two letters of objection had been submitted to the council. Anglian Water also originally opposed the plans, but later rescinded its objection.
Karen Tate, who represented residents of Rushbrooke Lane and River Lane, said the community was primarily concerned about highway safety, air quality and impacts on the nearby Denbury Homes housing development, which could add an extra 2,000 cars to the area’s roads.
Ms Tate said: “It is reasonable to question whether development is premature before the full impacts of this [the housing estate] development can be considered.”
Rougham Hill. Picture: Mark Westley
Residents also raised concerns over the project increasing congestion on and off the A14 and that traffic surveys were conducted during the early afternoon and did not reflect peak time car use.
Cllr Richard Rout, on behalf of fellow ward councillors, echoed similar concerns.
He highlighted its failure to meet BREEAM standards and stated the council ‘chose not to meet [its] own standards’.
West Suffolk Council. Picture: Jason Noble LDRS
In addition, Cllr Rout said Bury St Edmunds Town Council, 34 of 37 residents, Waitrose, Denbury Homes and Moreton Hall Residents’ Association all objected to the proposals.
Following the decision, he said: “This part of Bury St Edmunds is already choked with traffic and a new supermarket and drive-through in this location would just make the gridlock we all sit in on a daily basis even worse.
“Local residents and I will continue to object to this ill thought through and environmentally unsound application.”
A representative on behalf of the council said the plans provided a valuable opportunity to put a redundant site to productive use and delivered clear economic benefits.
She described it as a ‘logical use’ for the site, with excellent access which constituted a sustainable development and urged officers to approve the plans.
Several councillors said they could not approve the plans if it meant the authority going against its own guidelines.
Cllr Sara Mildmay-White was significantly concerned about road safety, particularly for cyclists, with a large number of lorries in the area.
However, she believed it made sense to have a supermarket there
Cllr Jon London also thought it was a good use for the land but was unsure if proposals from a non-council applicant would have made it to this stage due to not meeting environmental criteria.
Meanwhile, Cllrs Ian Houlder and Andy Neal were in favour of the plans.
Cllr Houlder said the site ‘had been an empty lump of concrete’ for many years and believed it was a good application.
Cllr Neal said the council went against its own policies before and thought the benefits of the development outweighed the negatives.