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PLANS for a Lidl supermarket in Bridport may not be decided for at least six months because of road concerns.

The Highways Agency has directed West Dorset District Council to hold off determining the scheme to allow more discussions.

The delay comes after Bridport Town Council objected to the proposal in early July and before the district council planners were due to make their decision in August.

The scheme involves redeveloping the Travis Perkins builders' merchant site in St Andrew's Road to create a new Travis Perkins and a Lidl store with new roads access, parking and landscaping.

Now the Highways Agency has raised concerns about the super- market's plans - particularly about its impact on the A35 and the Greens roundabout where the A35, Sea Road North, East Street and East Road meet.

District council principal planning officer Andrew Jordan said: "The Highways Agency has some highways issues with the scheme and has directed the council not to determine the application for a minimum period of six months while discussions continue between the applicant and the Highways Agency.

"If the highways issues can be resolved then the Highways Agency will lift the direction which will allow the council to determine the application sooner."

In its initial application Lidl stated that it was aware of some residents' concerns about traffic in St Andrew's Road, which leads off Sea Road North, and had taken advice from Dorset County Council highways department and the Highways Agency.

It carried out a transport assessment and designed a travel plan to deal with the issue. Lidl also surveyed junctions - including the Greens roundabout - and found that the impact would not be significant.

But now the Highways Agency has stated that it believes that there will be a noticeable impact' at the roundabout with queue lengths expected to increase and have an impact on an already congested junction'.

Steve Hellier, who is network planning manager at the Highways Agency's Exeter office, tells the district council: "The junction assessments have taken a worse case scenario' and the likelihood of this impact happening is limited; however mitigation should be investigated to limit the impact of the development."

The agency has issued the notice to hold a decision to give Lidl time to address its concerns about the roundabout and A35.

Some 35 jobs could be created if the store is built. Travis Perkins would replace its headquarters with the money it gets from Lidl, adding five extra jobs to its current 25-strong workforce.

The proposals have divided opinion in Bridport with many nearby residents in opposition but others in the town in support of a low cost food store.

Lidl development executive James Mitchell said that a supermarket would be good for the town and give customers an option currently lacking.

Morrisons recently lodged an objection to the Lidl plan. It claims that the plan fails to demonstrate a need for the shop and that it would not have an adverse impact on other retail centres.

10:59am Thursday 24th July 2008

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