
The plan, which is currently under consideration by the Council, is to build a 6907 square metre store with 398 parking places, and vehicular access from Portswood Road and St Denys Road. It will also incorporate 14 residential units.
The retail studies that the City Council has previously commissioned have concluded that there is a demand for extra ‘retail floorspaces’ in Portswood. But there are concerns that this scheme will have a detrimental effect on a range of local — and perhaps not quite so local — shops, and generate yet more traffic in an already very busy area.
The Council has already received letters commenting on the application from local residents and traders — both in favour of the scheme and against — but there is still time to write in with comments on the plans. Although the statutory consultation period has expired, views will be taken into account up to the point that a planning recommendation is made.
The item will then be considered at the next available Planning and Rights of Way Panel meeting; the next meeting is on May 23 but it’s more likely that this application will be discussed at the following meeting on June 20. These meetings are open to the public, and anyone who has written in should receive an invitation to attend.
You can write to Southampton City Council Planning Office quoting application number 05/01407/FUL ‘Sainsbury’s supermarket in Portswood’, or contact them for more information. Further details about the application are also available by searching for the application number on the Public Access for Planning website.