Well, our postmen and women have been busy today delivering mail on behalf of Lidl GB who are very keen to build a new foodstore on the London Road – alongside the Bath Rugby Training Ground.
There’s a folder explaining all, and a Freepost questionnaire for you to ‘have your say’ and return it.
No doubt all those keen to see a store on the east side of the city will be expressing their delight and all these ‘returns’ will no doubt be referred to when the company goes to a B&NES planning committee meeting where its yet-to-be-delivered planning application will be discussed.
The company’s ‘brochure’ reads like one of the party ‘vote for me’ leaflets from the recent local election which we have now (hopefully) placed in our recycling bin.
Look out for quotes like the new store ‘will help to increase local shopping choice for people living on the eastern side of the city.’
But is it really being built for Bath and not for all the people it can entice in from Bathford, Bathampton, Batheaston and probably Box, Colerne and Corsham.
The leaflet says local heritage stakeholders like Bath Preservation Trust have been engaged with. I have yet to hear comment from them.
It does not explain how the road layout coming into Bath will be affected by all this extra traffic.
There is a bus lane outside the field gate. It does say two new signalised pedestrian crossings’ across the London Road/Gloucester Road junction’ will ‘benefit users of Lidl and Alice Park.’
According to Lidl the development will ‘preserve and enhance existing habitats and improve biodiversity with a net gain of more than 30%. The sites woodland is in poor condition with species in poor health, and extensive new tree and hedge planting will strengthen and enrich the tree line with a net increase of 32 trees.’
On top of that, there will be bird and bat boxes, bee towers, a bird bath and a ‘habitat wall which creates spaces for insects.’
Yes, but you will also have covered a green space with a supermarket and l can’t imagine wildlife coming anywhere near it!
Look, you read it all for yourselves.
Remember there’s a consultation exhibition at the Lambridge Training Ground on the London Road next Wednesday the 17th May from 4 to 7pm.
In the meantime, if you have had a letter, do reply. Those who don’t want the development can tell them in writing too!
PS. Lidl do not believe the store will have a significant impact on local roads. Do they mean the main entry route to Bath?
PPS. They also don’t think the store would have a significant impact on shops in Larkhall.
Just saying. Submit your comments online via lidllondonroadbath@new-stores.co.uk
I have a number of concerns about this proposal and in two minds whether to complete the response form.
My first concern when I saw the letter was that if I tell Lidl what I think, they will have the opportunity to construct arguments to counter my concerns. I am thinking that this exercise is strategic and about helping them gather evidence to present a supportive case for their proposal and pre-empt and ‘neutralise’ the opinions of dissenters – or am am being cynical/misguided? I would rather give my comments directly to B&NES planning dept. and Councillors who will make the decision whether to accept the application or not.