Co-op store gets go-ahead in Preston despite residents' objections

The 6am-11pm store is to be built on land adjacent to Cottam Community Centre and just yards from the local primary school after planning chiefs turned down concerns over traffic and whether there was a need for more shopping in the area.

The site, off Merry Trees Lane, forms part of the Cottam Hall Development Area which was approved back in 2013 and includes up to 1,100 new homes, together with retail and commercial uses.

A total of 23 letters of objection were sent to the Town Hall - one of them claiming the land had originally been earmarked for a helath centre.

Other residents said they were worried about road safety in the area of Cottam Primary School, especially during drop-off and pick-up times.

One said the store could affect parking at the community centre next door and there were also concerns over anti-social behaviour in the vicinity of the store.

But council officers ruled the addition of an early-late convenience store was “an appropriate use of this location.”

The proposed single storey building was “an appropriate representation of a convenience store commonly found on sites in towns and cities across the country.”

They said the store, which will look similar to the adjacent community centre, will have a number of column-mounted LED floodlights outside for the safety of staff and customers.