What are all these plans Chelverton have for Lancaster?

"This is a development totally without soul or respect for the city." - I.Barker

After failing to get their plans for the Kingsway Centre approved, CR Chelverton are formulating plans for a 63,000 square foot supermarket on Back Caton Road, and, among other things, "Big Box Retailing" in the Grand/Dukes/Music Co-op area.

In order to be viable the Supermarket will need a road, which will go from Back Caton Rd to at least Quarry Rd, and there is speculation that it will continue to Penny St (see Map).

Ian Barker - City Councillor for Bulk Ward - believes that this development will not only impact his own ward, but will destroy Lancaster, closing down the town centre, and threaten the viability of retailers in Morecambe too. The destruction will affect the economy of the whole area.

The development is contrary to the recently adopted Local Plan (which the council draws up regularly to control development, and consults the community on). The council has also commissioned studies which state that there is "no scope for large expansion of food retailing". Because of this, the development could theoretically be defeated by the local council. There are however fears - both within the council and in residents' groups - that some councillors will succumb to the lure of the millions that CR Chelverton are waving around. Furthermore there are real worries that Planning Officers (civil servants) wield too much influence, and some believe that this will undermine the democratic process. Chelverton are "consulting with senior officers", but are making little attempt to talk to locals. (They have even stated that they will not consult with the public until the plans are submitted to the council).

CR Chelverton is backed by major multinationals - one is Carillion, the construction company formerly known as Tarmac, which changed its name in a PR exercise because of its negative image.

• Read the background report
• have a look at a map and the aerial photo showing where the developments will be.
• Get all the news from Virtual-Lancaster's "Development News Server" - archived and up-to-date.
  
  
  Another of Richardson's developments.
  
  
  
  

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