Support Lidl In Warlingham

After extensive consultation with both Croydon and Surrey Council, Lidl has submitted a revised planning application under reference number 16/01097/P. Numerous design options and highways layouts have been considered and additional on site traffic surveys commissioned to ensure that any planning resubmissions satisfactorily addressed the reasons for refusal outlined in the inspector's decision letter. The proposed scheme comprises a foodstore (1,227 sqm sales area), 83 car parking spaces and 4no 2 bed apartments at 1st floor level.

Please know that Lidl is acutely aware of the safety concerns shared by some local residents given the proximity of the neighbouring schools. This scheme has been redesigned with highways safety as an absolute priority.

The planning inspector's concerns can be summarised as follows:

1. Delivery vehicles crossing the centre line marking on Limpsfield Road.
2. Additional potentially conflicting vehicle movements emerging onto Limpsfield Road from the new access and the associated possibility of confusion among drivers.
3. The proposal to convert the adjoining service road to one-way (southbound) operation, which would essentially replace one type of conflict with another.
4. Potential conflicts at the proposed access between pedestrians and vehicles, particularly unsupervised children, exacerbated by parents of school children using the Lidl car park at the start and end of the school day.
5. Pedestrian visibility past a stationary bus within the bus lay-by.

The revised proposals respond to these concerns as follows:

1. The new bellmouth off Limpsfield Road has been redesigned and widened to facilitate a smoother HGV movement into the site. The delivery vehicle no longer crosses the centre line on Limpsfield Road.

2. The proposals now incorporate an access only into the site from Limpsfield Road and an egress out onto Tithepit Shaw Lane. Furthermore, the service road running alongside the adjacent parade of shops is being incorporated into the design of the new bellmouth. The potential for conflicting movements has been vastly reduced and the various vehicle movements from the refused scheme have been consolidated. As far as the egress out onto Tithepit Shaw Lane is concerned, again, pedestrians (but especially for the benefit of the schoolchildren walking in this area) will be able to cross the road safely with the introduction of a zebra crossing. Cars will not be travelling fast at this point and the formal crossing grants pedestrians priority.

3. The service road is no longer 1-way. It maintains 2-way movements and as mentioned above, the southern entrance/exit has been incorporated into the design of the new bellmouth. Given that the new bellmouth is now 1- way only into the store car park, there will be no conflict between cars using the store and those using the parade of shops.

4. The 1-way access into the store car park will mean that the number of cars using this junction will vastly reduce. This straight away helps to mitigate the conflict between vehicles and pedestrians. Furthermore, the addition of a zebra crossing across the access will ensure that pedestrians, including schoolchildren, will have priority when walking to and from the bus stop, or for any journey when crossing the access road. Safety guard rails strategically placed will ensure that pedestrians use this crossing rather than taking a more direct desire line.

5. Previous concerns relating to visibility splays looking south past a stationary bus have been addressed. The bus stop has moved to the north of the new bellmouth so the visibility splays are completely free from obstruction.

The proposed development will also bring the following benefits to the residents of Hamsey Green, Warlingham and Sanderstead:
• Bringing a derelict brownfield site back into use
• Creation of 40 jobs for local people
• Introduction of a different retail offering to that currently available in the nearby area to improve consumer choice
• Provision of 4no 2 bed apartments (compensates for the loss of residential accommodation)
• A high quality mixed-use development at the entrance to the borough from Tandridge
• Retention of investment in the local area

Please visit our website (www.lidl-in-warlingham.co.uk) where the revised application documents can be viewed in further detail.