Court battle over future of Scunthorpe retail park and new Marks and Spencer store
THE future of the planned Marks and Spencer-led retail park on the outskirts of Scunthorpe will be battled out in court next week.
A judicial review into the proposed development on Doncaster Road, which would also include a Debenhams store and possibly a River Island, will be heard at Leeds Administrative Court on Monday.
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How the retail development on the outskirts of Scunthorpe will look if it goes ahead.
And both the developers and their opponents say that whatever the decision, it will have a massive impact on the town.
In March, North Lincolnshire Council awarded Simons Developments permission for the five-unit scheme at the site of Stephen Smith's Garden Centre.
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The development was due to begin in October, however it was thrown into jeopardy after the legal review was launched. Those in favour say it will create around 300 jobs and new shops, while opponents say it could deal a hammer blow to town centre trade.
The three-day hearing is a legal challenge brought by Threadneedle Investments, which owns The Foundry Shopping Centre.
But Chris Newsome, development director for Simons, the group behind the plans, said the project was popular with locals.
"Our plans for a new retail park on Doncaster Road have enjoyed widespread support from the local community throughout," he said.
"The proposals have already been approved twice by North Lincolnshire Council's planning committee and the overwhelming feedback we have received is that the jobs, investment and increased retail choice is what the people of Scunthorpe want and need.
"This will be a £25m investment and we hope to get the green light at the inquiry."
Mr Newsome previously told the Telegraph that a restaurant or other non-shop business could fill one of the remaining units at the site, but said the developer was "still looking at all options".
Threadneedle bosses were remaining tight-lipped in advance of the hearing.
A spokeswoman for Threadneedle said: "Due to legal reasons, we are unable to comment at this stage."
The hearing, which will be before Mr Justice Hickinbottom, is a challenge against the process by which the decision has been arrived at.
In judicial reviews, most issues are dealt with on paper by lawyers making representations.
The procedure will see both sides outline their case before the judge makes a decision.
Court officials say it may well be after Christmas when the judgement is made.
A spokesman for North Lincolnshire Council said: "North Lincolnshire Council's planning committee gave approval for the Simons scheme. Now there is of course a judicial review, for which we await the outcome after the hearing next week."
Judy Bradley, of the Scunthorpe Forward Group, said the town was lucky to be given such an opportunity and was not in a position to turn down the number of jobs it would create.
Mrs Bradley said: "I think if you don't get it then this will be the demise of the town, but if we get it then it could be the saviour.
"At present, it is sad to see so many times that people go to Lincoln to shop at M&S."
A spokesman for the Keep Scunthorpe Alive group said: "The comments made by Simons and the Scunthorpe Forward Group are focussing on the fallacy of a £20 million investment and the speculation of creating hundreds of jobs.
"This clearly is not true, there will not be 300 jobs, if there were then 75 per cent of them would be part-time.
"All job creation is welcome, whether part or full-time, but nobody has taken in to account the number of jobs that will be lost in the town centre and surrounding area."
The Telegraph will be at each day of the hearing and readers can get daily updates here at thisisscunthorpe.co.uk
Comments
by ewbfchamp
Tuesday, December 18 2012, 12:05AM
“by anth8h I agree with you regarding traffic wardens. Get rid of them and redeploy helping catch real criminals. I saw a car parked in a side street in Scunthorpe last Saturday which had been ticketed by a warden - and what for I failed to see. We pay road tax to be on the roads !!”
by fredsrite
Monday, December 17 2012, 11:14PM
“Could one of the people who are against this venture please answer this dilemma I have:
Shopping in Scunthorpe,against shopping in,Hull,Lincoln,Doncaster;
Hull,lincoln,Etc
Debenhams,Marks and Spencers,River Island,American Golf,House of Fraser,
Scunthorpe town centre;
Poundland,poundstretcher,Primark,poundland,Poundland,Poundland,Greggs.”
by casiofx85gt
Monday, December 17 2012, 7:48AM
“How can this possibly be a bad thing. Maybe threadneedle will now have to spend some money to compete. Out of town for the shops you need and keep all the pound shops together in the foundry. I am sure we could take threadneedle to the trading standards as said above 'threadneedle that own the foundry shopping centre'. Shopping centre? You sure?”
by rover25
Sunday, December 16 2012, 11:04PM
“Tomorrow is the the start of the legal challenge to whether Scunthorpe moves forward or rejects the way society wants to shop, i want to live in the future not the past x”
by buffering
Sunday, December 16 2012, 4:46PM
“Amazing, some sad looser sat and wiped their cookies ten times…”
by buffering
Saturday, December 15 2012, 8:28PM
“Funniest thing is when it opens that all the snobs, blue rinse and fur coat and no knickers won't go anyway as it'll soon be full of all the so-called "undesirables" that they seem to think populate our town.”
by fredsrite
Saturday, December 15 2012, 2:38PM
“What is the difference between having ALL the shops in the town centre and having ALL the shops at an out of town Shopping Mall? The only thing I can see is PARKING.”
by bewildered16
Saturday, December 15 2012, 1:05PM
“I for one welcome m&s and debenhams into the town god permitting! The only time I ever go into scunthorpe nowadays is for cards!. Pound shops galore and full of tack, what is there is scunthorpe of quality nowadays”
by anth8h
Saturday, December 15 2012, 12:21PM
“Just admit it KSA Scunthorpe town center is dead beyond resusitation so just give up.
No matter what you say or do you will never force large stores to open in the town center.
I myself steer clear of the town as much as I possibly can apart from yesterday (Fri) when I had no choice.Parked in Cliff Gdns(free) and walked to Halifax Bank,pouring with rain but that did not stop the vulture(CEO) ticketing a car on Francis St.Back up Cliff Gdns past the hospital and what do you see? Another one.No wonder people dont go into Scunthorpe nowadays as these people are like a plague hovering arond the streets and car parks.
Roll on the opening of M&S & co,the sooner the better because they are needed provided KSA dont succeed in their opposition.Mind you it still wont alter my ways in avoiding the town center unless unavoidable.”
by englander61
Saturday, December 15 2012, 12:03PM
“Dirty , traffic parking , smelly after week end revelers NO decent toilet facility's , Automatic one,s smelly and seldom work , How much has The three-day hearing is a legal challenge brought by Threadneedle Investments, which owns The Foundry Shopping Centre.this cost rate payers . Hope the are picking up the bill .”