Plans for special Lidl sign at Newbury Retail Park shelved

Totem would give unfair ‘premier status’ over other retailers

PLANS for an advertising ‘flag style’ sign for a new Lidl store in Newbury have been shelved.

Lidl Great Britain Ltd had applied to place the stand-alone illuminated sign next to the existing advertising pylon at the entrance to Newbury Retail Park.

West Berkshire Council has turned down the totem though, saying it would congest the area with commercial paraphernalia.

Refusing the application, the council said: “There are a number of major retailers within the retail park.

“Whilst the existing pylon sign may need replacing with a more legible sign to represent them, it is not considered that there is any reason why Lidl should have a more premier status compared to other retailers.

“As such, the proposed sign is considered to be overly dominant and intrusive in this location and would have a harmful effect on the visual amenity of the area.

“The cumulative impact of further such structures would contribute to a proliferation of signage resulting in further clutter.”

The signage is to direct people to the new Lidl store being opened at the former Homebase shop, which closed in September 2019.

Lidl will occupy two thirds of the unit on a 25-year lease.

The new store will be in addition to its one on the A4 in Newbury.

When the plans were agreed, council officers concluded that no preferable sites were evident in the town.

A needs test for a new store was not required in the light of Iceland closing and the ongoing rise in households in the district.

Traffic modelling indicated an increase of 46 vehicle movements to the retail park during weekday evening peak hours and 11 two-way movements between 11am and noon on Saturdays.

Officers had said that the increased traffic impact would not be severe.

However, this would change once the Sandleford Park housing development was built off Monk’s Lane.

But the council concluded it would be inappropriate to refuse planning permission for Lidl based on the grounds of prematurely surrounding Sandleford Park.

Concerns were also raised about parking at peak periods in the already-congested retail park.

The council said this was “despite a new internal road configuration being in the car park itself over the last five years”.

It said: “Whilst this has assisted, the eastern portion of the car park is more difficult to access and so remains relatively unused – but congestion still occurs in the car park to the west, leading to queues on to the highway.”

To address this, Lidl has proposed to pay for a new central reservation in the pedestrian crossing across the main access into the retail park from Pinchington Lane.

The council said this would improve the two-way flows at the crossing and reduce congestion, meaning the car park, particularly the eastern section, could be accessed easier.