Plans for a new Heron Foods in Rainworth have been turned down for the fourth time following a raft of objections.
Applicant K Nijjar had been looking to build the store in Kirklington Road, Rainworth, near a Tesco Express supermarket.
The brownfield site was once the car park of the Robin Hood pub on the corner of Southwell Road East, until the pub closed and was transformed into the Tesco store.
Newark and Sherwood District Council has rejected the plans again, after two previous attempts via the authority’s planning committee and an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate.
Dozens of residents also objected to the plans.
Kaushal Gohil, of Kirklington Road, said: “There are plenty shops in Rainworth, we don’t need another shop. The junction is already so busy and it will make it more worse.”
Annette Hill, of Preston Road, echoed the traffic concerns, describing the ‘havoc’ at the current junction as people wait to pull into Tesco, which has limited room for two-way traffic.
Paula Shutt, who lives in Derwent Close, added: “The road and traffic light junction is heavily congested at present and no matter what application or amendments to the application, with regards to access or parking, will change the fact that the junction is heavily congested. It will only add to it.
“The village does not need another food shop, especially with Tesco and Co-op being in close proximity.”
The applicant previously applied to build the store on the site in June 2022, however it was refused by councillors at two separate planning committee meetings due to concerns over the safety of pedestrians, insufficient car parking spaces and the likely increase in pressure for on-street parking.
The applicant later attempted to appeal the decision with the Planning Inspectorate, but was dismissed over similar concerns.
Following a site visit in 2024 the Government’s inspector said the development would cause “significant harm” to highway safety and branded the development unacceptable.
Documents show there have been six road traffic incidents between 2019 and 2024.
In the plans, the applicant argued 19 parking spaces would be provided, instead of 12, and the “key consideration” of highway safety had been resolved – which had been the sole reason for the dismissal by the Planning Inspectorate.
A redesigned layout provided for a safer access, including defined pedestrian walkways, the applicant added.
However a planning officer for the council, in a decision notice issued on Monday (July 7), said: “In the opinion of the local planning authority, despite revisions to the previous scheme, the highway safety concerns raised in the appeal have not been adequately addressed.
“The proposed car park layout and access arrangements are considered to be substandard resulting in unacceptable highway safety impacts and conflicts for pedestrians and vehicles.”
