PLANS for a commercial development combining food, retail and a hot food takeaway will be considered for Workington at the borough council’s planning committee next week.

Allerdale Borough Council’s development panel will meet at Allerdale House on Tuesday March 29 at 10am.

Amongst the planning applications set to be scrutinised is a bid to construct a multi-use commercial development on land west of Derwent Howe Retail Park in Workington.

The applicant, Port Derwent Properties Limited believes that planning permission for the development would bring benefits for the community.

In the planning design and access statement, Port Derwent Properties said: “The re-development of the site for a mixed use retail scheme would enable a financially viable beneficial use to come forward on a difficult site that is constrained by railway workings on part of it and it is long and narrow.”

Several objections have been submitted in public opposition to the plans.

One Robert Parks of Dovenby told the case officer: “I not the applicant has submitted a ‘Potential Car Parks Design Planting Plan’ on September 2 which is subject to further consultation.

“This plan in my view does nothing to address the potential loss of biodiversity which would be caused by the proposed development of this important wildlife site and that my objection remains unaltered.”

But the applicant said: “The development would not be harmful to environmental or heritage assets and therefore the application would satisfy Local Plan Policy S5.”

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Workington Town Council has objected to the proposal. A report from a town council development committee meeting in 2019 said: “The committee was concerned about the size of this additional retail development and its impact on the existing town centre.  

“They were not convinced by the mitigation measures proposed for the Small Blue butterfly, and added that the scheme appeared to occupy a space designated for green infrastructure and possibly a protected transport corridor.”

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