Introducing more cyclist and pedestrians to the Belmont Road area, will instantly make the area far more dangerous for everyone, says a resident who opposes plans for a Lidl store on the Three Counties Hotel site in Hereford.
Mr Chamberlain, who lives in the Newton Fatm area of the city says:
“Being a long-term resident of Newton Farm. I fear this new idea would a fateful blow to the area and its residents. Already having Asda, Tesco, Farmfoods and 4 convenience stores all within
acceptable walking and cycling distance I believe the addition of a LidI store, which is already well established in Hereford and a 10 minute drive away, would be detrimental.
“It only takes 12 customers of the neighbouring McDonalds drive thru to create a backlog of traffic along the north and southbound carriageways, quite often extending back past the current Three Counties entrance.
“The claims made by the 167 page report on traffic appear to say that the area is not an accident blackspot, because the accidents that happen around McDonalds and The Oval junctions are outside the required area in question.
“The new LidI Store as they so rightly say in their application is within walking and cycling distance of everyone in the area.
“This is a double-edged sword, introducing more cycles and pedestrians will instantly make the area far more dangerous for everyone, regardless of adding wider pavements and larger central crossing island.
“One accident and the whole of Hereford will come to a standstill, as has been the case many many times in the past.
“Also, it must be pointed out that there aren’t that many people that will go and do a weekly shop on foot and carry multiple bags home. Most people will use a car or call a taxi to transport them and their shopping home. Adding yet more vehicles to Belmont Road.
“Having looked at the application and the visuals supplied of the finished building, I can only really call it a carbuncle on the landscape, soulless corporate architecture adding an unwanted first impression of Hereford as you enter the city limits.
“After all the work to revitalise the Oval area with new housing that is far more appealing than the old brutalist flats that once sat there. This supermarket seems like a backwards step. The current Hotel, with it’s pond and fountains are quite the Hereford landmark, and truth be told a Hereford institution, there can’t be that many
Herefordians that haven’t enjoyed an event there.
“I am not a resident of Glastonbury Close directly behind the proposed store, but I am sure they will be looking forward to the Flourescent/LED glow, humming of air conditioning units and large articulated lorries just meters away from their properties 24/7 and I hope that all the residents have taken to writing a formal objection about this proposal.
“As a final point has the fact that the pond at the hotel acts as a soakaway for the brook been considered?
“As filling the pond in may lead to the brook level rising and flooding the surrounding area.”
This objection comes as Lidl submitted new plans, to build an eco store on the Three Counties Hotel site.
The company withdrew their previous plans and have made a small number of changes to the plans this time round. The Three Counties Hotel is currently occupied by more than 100 asylum seekers through the Home Office.
Our article that we shared earlier this week, that broke the news of Lidl’s new proposal for a supermarket on the site said:
Lidl has re-submitted plans to demolish the Three Counties Hotel in Hereford.
The statement confirms plans to demolish the hotel:
“The purpose of this report is to support a full planning application for the demolition of an existing hotel and erection of a new foodstore (Class E) to be occupied by Lidl.
“The application follows the withdrawal of application 221090 for a similar, albeit larger development.”
The application site is on Belmont Road, Hereford, HR2 7BP. It is situated within the local authority area of Herefordshire Council, and it is currently occupied by the Three Counties Hotel, landscaped grounds and parking areas.
The application site measures 1.68ha approx.
The topography of the site is predominantly flat. The site fronts on to Belmont Road (the A465).
It is located within a mixed residential/commercial area of Hereford, approximately 1.8km to the south-west of the City Centre. Residential properties surround the site to the north, east and west.
The Three Counties Hotel site currently occupies asylum seekers through a scheme led by the Home Office.
A review of the site’s planning history records has been undertaken via Herefordshire Council’s planning website.
The record shows two planning permissions for extensions to the hotel, neither of which are directly relevant to the current development proposal, and the withdrawn application 221090 for a similar, albeit larger development to that now sought.
The plans consist of:
Demolition of the existing hotel and erection of a new foodstore (Class E) on the site to be occupied by Lidl. The store would have a floorspace of 1,984 sqm (GEA) excluding canopy (2,140 sqm including canopy) and a sales area of 1,251 sqm;
A car park of 118 spaces including 8no. disabled, 10no. parent & child, and 2no. electric charging bays;
Associated access improvements comprising:
Increase width of existing footways along the site frontage.
Increase width of footways to the west of the site, along the northern side of Belmont Road (A465) leading to Flaxley Drive.
A new 3.0m wide shared use cycleway/footway from the end of the existing shared use facility on Goodrich Grove along the southern side of Belmont Road (A465), leading to an upgraded pedestrian refuge island on Belmont Road.
Increase width of existing Belmont Road (A465) refuge island to 3m to facilitate shared use.
Increase width of footway along the northern side of Belmont Road (A465) from the proposed upgraded refuge to a dedicated 3.0m wide internal footway/cycleway which crosses the existing verge and leads directly to the store frontage and the cycle storage area.
The following trading and delivery hours are sought:
Monday-Saturday Trading 08:00-22:00 Deliveries 07:00-23:00
Sundays 10:00-16:00
Bank Holidays 08:00-22:00
The proposed Lidl store would be located in the north-east corner of the site with parking wrapping around the south and west elevations of the proposed store.
A 118-space car park is proposed which includes 10 parent & child spaces, 8 disabled spaces and 2 electric charging bays.
In terms of accessing the site, the existing site access from Belmont Road will be utilised and will act as the entry and exit for customers and servicing vehicles.
Pedestrians will also access the site from Belmont Road (A465), both adjacent to the vehicular access and in the form of a 3m wide pedestrian/cycle link further east.
The proposed Lidl is expected to create around 40 full time jobs.
