Planners recommend expansion at Newcastle’s Barbican supermarket

Planners recommend expansion at Newcastle’s Barbican supermarket

9 October 2019

A LEADING Newcastle business is in line for a major extension.

Planners are recommending that — subject to a number of conditions — an amended proposal to expand the Barbican filling station at the Dundrum Road in the resort should be given the green light.

The approval recommendation is due to be discussed at a meeting of Newry, Mourne and Down Council’s Planning Committee on Wednesday of next week.

The proposal includes the redevelopment of the existing petrol station and forecourt and extending the store’s retail space. A new shop front is also proposed alongside a new deli area, sanitary and internal seating facilities.

Existing petrol pumps, fuel talks and canopy will also be replaced as part of the significant investment proposal, alongside additional parking.

In papers submitted ahead of next week’s meeting, planners say they received one objection to the proposal from a resident who lives nearby, with 97 neighbours notified about the proposal.

The objection relates to proposals for changes to a traffic island outside the store on the busy Dundrum Road.

The planning papers say the proposal will result in the relocation of eight fuel pumps and canopy along with an existing car wash, with the current retail unit extended. Additional fuel pumps also form par of the development proposal.

Planners say that the redevelopment of the Barbican filling station is compatible with surrounding land use, will not harm the amenities of nearby residents, with the filling station and retail unit not at any risk from flooding.

Significantly, planners are content that the existing road network can cope with any extra vehicular activity at the Dundrum Road site and that adequate access arrangements and parking area is in place.

One of the existing accesses to the site will be lost as a result of the redevelopment.

Recommending that the amended plans should be approved, planners say that the site must only be used as a petrol filling station with no part used for the display or sale of vehicles and that all existing fuel tanks must be removed in line with current pollution guidance.

Councillors will be told at next week’s planning meeting that if during development works, contamination risks are encountered which have not previously been identified, works should cease and planners notified immediately.

The store’s opening hours will remain unchanged when the redevelopment work is completed. The Barbican will open from 6am to 11pm from Monday to Saturday and from 7am to 11pm on Sundays.

Planners have also ruled that the development shall not be occupied until surface water drainage works have been submitted, approved and constructed by the developer and relevant authority.