Judicial review into West Berkshire Ikea store

West Berkshire Council granted the Swedish flat-pack company planning permission for a new store off junction 12 of the M4 in Calcot in April.
However the application was then referred to the department for Communities and Local Government by West Berkshire councillor Alan Macro (Lib Dem, Theale), but the council’s original decision was upheld in September.
Now Sainsbury’s, which has a supermarket next to Ikea’s proposed site in Pincents Lane, has requested a judicial review into the application due to concerns about increased traffic.
Sainsbury’s wants traffic detectors to be installed in the area when the new Ikea store is opened, however Mr Macro, who has publically expressed his opposition to the Ikea store, said: “My opinion is that these traffic detectors would only help Sainsbury’s and not the general area. They could actually make traffic worse in Calcot and Theale.
“The people who live in this area and I are concerned about the increase in traffic that Ikea will create, so if Ikea wins the judicial review this issue will need to be looked at again.”
However a spokesperson for Sainsbury’s, who did not want to be named, said: “Whilst Sainsbury’s have no objection in principle to the IKEA proposal, we remain concerned that the development could have a negative impact on our customers leaving the store at peak times.
“We are continuing discussions with all parties and are hopeful our concern can be addressed.”
Roger Cooper, project manager for the new Ikea store, which will be built on land to the west of Sainsbury’s on the same site as Homebase, Carpet Right, Reading Bowl and two empty retail warehouses, said: “We are currently in ongoing dialogue with West Berkshire Council and our neighbour Sainsbury’s regarding a concern they have raised with the plans for our new store. We are hopeful that the judicial review process will soon be concluded and we are able to continue to make preparations for the development of our new IKEA store.”
The Ikea store (plans pictured) will be 40,000 sq m, with a 1,179-space multi-storey car park, café, crèche facilities and a bus interchange area.