A discount foodstore, rumoured to be Lidl, has been given permission to extend and move into a unit at Bradley Stoke’s Willow Brook shopping centre despite concerns over a loss of parking. Anchor store Tesco and a ward councillor objected to the plans by the centre’s owners because it would mean losing another 55 car park spaces on top of the 80 that went with the recent opening of a McDonald’s and Starbucks 24-hour drive-thru at the site.
But South Gloucestershire councillors heard there would still be enough parking following a drop in retail customers since the pandemic and the rise of online shopping. Planning officers said the proposed extension of the Poundstretcher unit at the end of the shopping terrace was similar to but smaller than a previous scheme that was granted consent on appeal three years ago, so the principle of its use had been established.
Ward Cllr Roger Avenin (Conservative, Bradley Stoke South) told the development management committee that the loss of the parking spaces was a “considerable reduction” from what was originally envisaged. He said: “Weekend car parking spaces are at a premium and at peak times of the year, such as Easter and Christmas, it’s almost impossible to find a space.
