Plans for supermarket at new flats scheme refused

Ted Peskett, local democracy reporter

A housing developer’s plans to have a supermarket in one of its new schemes has failed.

Wales & West Housing had plans for 81 new flats and commercial space on Cowbridge Road East in Cardiff approved in August 2023.

At the time, a condition was attached to the planning permission stating that the largest commercial unit should be sub-divided into no less than two units, with a maximum floorspace of 250sqm.

The developer later applied to overturn this so that a supermarket chain could move in, raising concerns with local councillors who argued it would impact local businesses.

In a joint letter to the council, ward councillors for Riverside said the area is home to a number of “long-standing family run independent businesses” and that these provide jobs and “culturally important meeting places”.

Impact assesement 

The letter, signed by councillors Leonora Thomson, Caro Wild and Kanaya Singh added: “No way should another supermarket be allowed to open, and we would urge that a full equalities impact assessment is undertaken to measure the likely impact on the local BAME community.

“We would suggest that the commercial units are made smaller to protect against this.”

Cardiff Council’s planning committee decided to reject the application at a meeting on Thursday, January 6.

However, this move was not without its critics with a number of planning committee members arguing in favour of having a new supermarket in this area of the city.

Cllr Michael Michael said: “I have no issue with a large supermarket going there because it would serve the area.”

Talking about Cowbridge Road, he added: “It was a great place to go shopping… [but] now it is not.

“It is cafes, gambling shops and vaping shops.”

Impact

Cllr Sean Driscoll said he accepted the supermarket plans would “impact smaller shops further down”, but added: “I think… the local residents may have preferred a bigger shop and not have to go to Canton.”

The closest supermarkets to the application site on the west side of the River Taff are the Tesco Express on Cowbridge Road East and the Lidl on Leckwith Road – both about a 20 minute walk according to Google Maps.

There is a Sainsbury’s Local and Tesco Express on St Mary Street and both are about an 11 to 12 minute walk from the application site.

Speaking at Thursday’s planning committee meeting, Riverside councillor, Cllr Leonora Thomson said the area is “more suited to the independent provision of retail” and that having a supermarket would take away “potential for independent shops”.

Planning committee member, Cllr Waheeda Abdul-Sattar, said: “There is not really a need for a large shop there… because there is further down and the community would look for a reasonable sized premises as opposed to a supermarket.”

Report

A retail impact report produced by Montagu Evans LLP on behalf of Wales & West states that terms have been agreed with a national supermarket operator to occupy the full extent of the ground floor retail unit, subject to planning permission.

It also states than an objection has been made against the application, but goes on to add that the proposed condition removal is “entirely acceptable on retail impact grounds”.

A council report on the application published recently states: “The retail units on the site add significantly to the local community.

“The provision of a single, larger 350sqm Class A1 retail unit would not only materially change such local character, by being disproportionate in size within the local context, but also be to the detriment of community’s local amenity in terms of the nature of local shopping provision.”