Felixstowe: Town sets date for superstore debate

A SPECIAL meeting is to be held for councillors to consider proposals for a multi-million pound new superstore close to the town centre.

Albourne Property plc has formally submitted plans for a 30,000 sq ft supermarket on a brownfield site, old railway sidings off Railway Approach in Felixstowe.

Felixstowe Town Council will give its views to Suffolk Coastal, which will make the final decision, after a specially-arranged meeting of its plans committee on Wednesday, December 19 at 9.30am.

“In anticipation of a potentially higher level of interest from members of the public wishing to attend this plans committee meeting, it was agreed that the meeting should be held at Walton Community Hall, being a larger venue,” said a spokeswoman for the council.

“The normal plans committee protocol will apply, with the meeting open to members of the public, with no right of speech at the town council plans committee – though it is available at the district council development control meeting.

“Any written representations to the plans committee with regard to this application should be addressed to the clerk Caroline Barrett and will be copied for plans committee members to consider during their overall consideration of the planning application.”

No operator has been chosen for the store yet, but the developers say it will bring 80 full-time and 80 part-time jobs, plus hundreds of construction jobs.

The development site is two acres between the railway line and the rear of homes in High Road West. It stretches to the Garrison Lane bridge, where delivery lorries would enter the site at the traffic lights, while Station Approach would be widened to cope with extra car traffic.

Improvements would also be made to passenger facilities at the station.