Plans to turn a brownfield site in the centre of a Nottinghamshire village into a new supermarket have returned two years after they were rejected over road safety fears.
Planning permission has been applied for to build the one-storey retail unit on Kirklington Road, Rainworth.
Proposed plans will see a Heron Foods store built on the unused browfield site adjacent to the nearby Tesco Express car park.
The building will be L-shaped and wrap around the existing Tesco store, built of brick with glazed frontage and a pitched zinc and aluminium roof.
The shop will open from 8 am to 8 pm Monday to Saturday and 8 am to 4 pm on Sundays.
There will also be 19 car parking spaces and two disabled bays to accommodate customers.
However, Rainworth Parish Council and some local residents have objected to the plans.
Rainworth Parish Council has raised concerns over parking, traffic, safety of pedestrians including children, and insufficient space for delivery trucks as they could compete with the nearby Tesco Express.
A previous planning application for the site was rejected due to highway safety concerns.
Applicant K Nijjar previously applied to build the Heron Foods store on the site in June 2022, but this was refused in September 2023.
Nottinghamshire County Council, which is responsible for the road network, objected to the previous plans over issues with vehicle access, insufficient separation between vehicles and pedestrians and concerns over delivery vehicle movements.
The authority withdrew their objection to this existing plan on the basis that certain conditions are met.
This includes the layout – which has been redesigned tp make it safer for customers and traffic, along with a separate pedestrian footpath.
There were also changes to delivery arrangements to avoid conflict with Tesco’s operations.
A report on the plans reads: “The key consideration for this application was highway safety, which was the sole reason for the dismissal of the previous appeal.
“This revised application has comprehensively addressed the specific failings identified by the Planning Inspector through a redesigned layout which provides a safe access and agrees for customer and delivery vehicles, defined pedestrian walkways, and robust servicing arrangements. “
The council believes the store will improve local retail choice for Rainworth and turn a run-down site into a functional community asset.
Planning documents add: “The proposed development is considered acceptable in principle and would enhance retail provision and choice within the defined centre of Rainworth, bringing a vacant and untidy brownfield site back into beneficial economic use.
“The proposed new building has been appropriately sited and designed, and overall, the proposed development would have a positive visual impact on this prominent corner. “
The plans will be considered at Newark & Sherwood District Council’s Planning Committee on Thursday, July 3 where they are recommended for approval.
