Planned store’s site may expand

May 23 2008 by Richard Fletcher, Chester Chronicle

A SUPERMARKET hoping to gain a foothold in a Cheshire village could be more than 50% bigger than the plans suggest.

The Nelson’s Quarter in High Street, Tarvin, would have a 4,500sq ft supermarket and a 2,400sq ft family restaurant if given permission, along with nine shops, 3,000sqft of office space and a car park.

But the supermarket space, already a target for both Tesco and Sainsbury’s, could become 6,900sq ft by knocking through into the restaurant space if and when planning permission is granted.

Objectors turned out in force at Tarvin Parish Council on Monday and heard Cllr Pet Twigg talk of the possibility of the developers merging the two buildings.

She said: “The way it has been designed, if no-one wants it as a restaurant, they can knock the wall down and make it into a really big supermarket.”

About 30 people turned up to discuss the proposal and, while many councillors spoke to people supporting the plans, they unanimously sent objections to the city council.

David Heath, from Sheaf Farm Shop, said: “It wouldn’t be a one-stop shop – it would be a full size supermarket.

“You could get another supermarket to compete against the Sainsbury’s down the road.”

A city council spokeswoman explained the possibility of knocking through would depend on planning officers putting conditions on permission, if granted. If conditions were imposed on having two separate buildings, separate permission would be needed to knock through.

John Fifield, of Osborne Kinsey, said: “We have every intention of letting the restaurant as a family restaurant as it is an integral part of the scheme.

“We have already received several inquiries for it and those will be pursued once planning consent has been obtained and building commences.”

Comments on the application must be in by June 4 and the parish council requested it go to full planning board.