Gateshead to mull plans from Lidl, L&G
Legal & General Property Fund is seeking reserved matters approval for an 80,000 sq ft industrial project at Follingsby Park, while Lidl has eyes for the former Robins & Day Peugeot garage.
Gateshead’s planning committee meets on 12 June.
L&G, working with planner Lichfields and Hale Architecture, has outline permission dating to September 2019 for the industrial scheme, close to Gateshead’s borders with South Tyneside and Sunderland on an allocated employment site.
The 79,968 sq ft warehouse would include an office mezzanine of 4,300 sq ft.
Lidl is co-applicant with pension fund Threadneedle for the Robins & Day site off Lobley Hill Road in Bensham, which has been vacant since car trading ceased in 2018.
Rapleys and Space Architects lead the professional team.
Once existing buildings are demolished, Lidl would build a store at the north-eastern edge of the plot, creating a 21,111 sq ft building with a sales area of 14,353 sq ft – its typical modus operandi.
Nine letters of support have been submitted to the council regarding the application. Tesco has placed an objection, querying the plot’s ‘edge of centre’ classification.
Officers disagree, concluding the report for committee thus: “The proposed development would involve redevelopment of a vacant, previously developed site, in a sustainable, urban location within the Borough to create a new discount food store.
“This would provide the opportunity for access to reasonably priced, fresh food, promoting healthier choices for residents of this more economically deprived area of the borough.” The arrival of 40 jobs was also noted.
Both schemes can be viewed on Gateshead’s planning portal, with the reference number for Lidl being DC/23/00610/FUL and L&G’s DC/22/00943/REM.
