Discount food store at Boston Road Service Station, Horncastle

What was proposed

The application sought a discount food store with parking, landscaping, new accesses and demolition of the existing buildings.

“Proposal: Erection of a discount food store, with parking, landscaping and other associated works and construction of a vehicular and a pedestrian access, existing accesses to be closed up, existing buildings on site to be demolished Location: Boston Road Service Station, Boston Road, Horncastle…”

“PL 7 Members received an application for Full Planning Permission – Erection of a discount food store, with parking, landscaping and other associated works and construction of a vehicular and a pedestrian access, existing accesses to be closed up, existing buildings on site to be demolished at Boston Road Service Station, Boston Road, Horncastle.”

Minutes

Earlier applications and comparison

The proposal had to be considered alongside a rival Aldi scheme after that scheme’s permission was quashed following a legal challenge.

“However, the permission as issued was then subject to legal challenge brought by Lidl Great Britain Ltd and subsequently quashed in July 2024. In essence, the claim succeeded on the basis that it was unlawful to grant planning permission for the Aldi scheme in the specific circumstances without comparing it to a rival Lidl proposal (this application proposal).”

“PL 8 agenda in respect of a proposal for the Aldi store as referenced above with a further, specific consideration of the comparative merits for each proposal being presented to enable Members to reach an appropriate decision on each application as required in accordance with the law as explained in the court’s judgment.”

Minutes

Main planning issues

The main issues included retail impact, design, landscape, highways, drainage, heritage, ecology, residential amenity, noise and contamination.

“The main planning issues were considered to be:”

“Principle • Retail impact and need for comparative assessment of Aldi proposal • Design and landscape • Highways • Drainage • Heritage • Ecology • Residential amenities, noise and contamination…”

Minutes

Officers’ recommendation

Approval was proposed because the retail impact was considered acceptable and the highways authority found the scheme acceptable in transport terms.

“- A Member queried why concerns regarding congestion on Boston Road had not been given greater weight within the report. The Development Management Lead Officer advised that the application had been accompanied by transport assessments and had been considered by the Highways authority. Whilst improvements were required, the Highways authority had concluded that the proposal was acceptable in transport terms.”

“- Members considered that the proposal should be assessed solely on its own merits and drew attention to the advice contained within the officer reports and retail assessments which concluded that the retail impact would be acceptable.”

Minutes

Who spoke

The agent spoke in support, a speaker objected, and the ward member addressed the committee.

The final decision

The application was initially approved subject to comparison, then refused after the committee prioritised the Aldi application.

“The Committee subsequently moved to the next stage of the agenda, namely the requirement to prioritise one application over the other and provide reasons for doing so. A Member proposed that the Aldi application be given priority, citing its superior public transport links and accessibility. The proposal was seconded.”

“PL 15 Following the vote, the Chairman confirmed that as the Aldi application had been approved, the competing application by Lidl would be refused within the context of the comparative assessment.”

Minutes