A move to build a discount chain supermarket and drive-through coffee shop on one of the last remaining fields separating a market town and one of North Yorkshire’s leading industrial estates would bring a wealth of benefits to the surrounding area, developers have claimed.
Morbaine Limited says its plans for the greenfield site off Bedale Road, between Aiskew and Leeming Bar, would see some residents stopping travelling further afield to do their weekly food shop and increase consumer choice as well as creating up to 60 full and part-time jobs.
The planning application has been lodged with North Yorkshire Council just weeks after Bedale councillors said greater choice over food was needed in the town as while Coop runs the town’s sole supermarket, the Nisa store on the High Street also stocked Coop products.
It also follows Aiskew and Leeming Bar Parish Council and residents voicing mounting concerns over the strain on infrastructure, such as sewers and roads and the lack of public services such as shops, GPs and dentists, due to the volume of planned housing developments in Aiskew.
Planning documents submitted to the authority state the out of town development would have a 20,000sq ft retail area, while the drive-through coffee shop would be 1,500sq ft.
The proposed site, beside the Wensleydale Railway and overlooking open countryside and a newly buily housing estate, would have 180 parking spaces.
The developers said they are holding talks with interested parties to agree the end operator for both proposed units.
The planning application states: “The social and economic benefits to the local community of this mixed retail development on this site are deemed to be considerable.
“The proposed foodstore would likely suit a discount operator and is of a sufficient scale to provide additional choice in respect of main food shopping trips which originate in Bedale and the surrounding area.”
The papers state while there is also a Morrisons Daily in the Market Place it was “of a convenience store format and are only able to meet top-up grocery shopping needs”.
The proposal highlights how the nearest existing discount foodstore provision in the wider area is located around 12 kilometres away from Bedale in Northallerton.
The papers state: “Discount foodstores have become increasingly popular in recent years as consumers recognise that they are able to access both good value and high quality products in undertaking grocery shopping.”
However, the planning documents do not make the same claims for the drive-through coffee shop, which would be almost opposite the Costa Coffee and McDonald’s outlets at Leeming Bar Services and numerous cafes, including a Costa branch, one mile away on Bedale High Street.
The documents add: “The redevelopment of the site for a community food store and drive thru facility will not only bring increased competition and choice for shoppers but will also create new jobs for local people within the area.
Discounters are able to support main food shopping trips and therefore trade against stores with a comparable role. As such, the application proposal will trade most directly against comparable or larger food supermarkets in Catterick and Northallerton.
“In doing so, the proposal will ‘claw back’ expenditure which originates within the local area but which currently ‘leaks’ to destinations further afield.
“The development of this site will create an attractive frontage and gateway to the town, whilst providing valuable facilities for the local community.”
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