Budgens has withdrawn proposals to build a 500sq m store in a Norfolk seaside town, blaming the local district council for indecision over planning consent.
The chain had been in discussion with North Norfolk Council for five years about building a store in Wells-next-to-the-Sea.
Budgens’ plan to build on a defunct filling station in the town was one of four new schemes on the table for the council, and although progress had been made with planners, problems arose when consultants’ findings led the council to give a higher priority to two of the other proposals, which were to extend Morrisons in Cromer and allow a new Tesco in Fakenham.
Property director for Budgens James Pye said: “The decision to withdraw was purely to do with the amount of time elapsed since we purchased the site. It has been dragging on for five years now. The first resolution took about 12 to 18 months to secure but the real problems arose when we were told we needed a section 106 agreement. If the first stage was difficult enough, the next stage was like pushing treacle up a hill. Now, we have simply run out of patience and lost all confidence with the council on the matter.”
The Wells site is now likely to see residential redevelopment.
The chain had been in discussion with North Norfolk Council for five years about building a store in Wells-next-to-the-Sea.
Budgens’ plan to build on a defunct filling station in the town was one of four new schemes on the table for the council, and although progress had been made with planners, problems arose when consultants’ findings led the council to give a higher priority to two of the other proposals, which were to extend Morrisons in Cromer and allow a new Tesco in Fakenham.
Property director for Budgens James Pye said: “The decision to withdraw was purely to do with the amount of time elapsed since we purchased the site. It has been dragging on for five years now. The first resolution took about 12 to 18 months to secure but the real problems arose when we were told we needed a section 106 agreement. If the first stage was difficult enough, the next stage was like pushing treacle up a hill. Now, we have simply run out of patience and lost all confidence with the council on the matter.”
The Wells site is now likely to see residential redevelopment.
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