The Humble Petition of Residents of Rushden, Northamptonshire and the surrounding areas,
Sheweth,
That the Petitioners believe that the proposed planning application for a new Lidl store in Rushden, to be built on the old recycling centre - planning application reference: 14/01014/FUL - is unacceptable, because there are already too many supermarkets and convenience stores in the area and the Petitioners believe that it will have a detrimental effect on the town.
Wherefore your Petitioners pray that your Honourable House urges the Department for Communities and Local Government to encourage Northamptonshire County Council and East Northamptonshire District Council to work together to ensure that the current proposal is rejected and that a more suitable facility be built on the old recycling centre.
And your Petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray, &c.—[Presented by Mr Peter Bone, Official Report, 14 October 2014; Vol. 586, c. 272.]
[P001389]
Observations from the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government:
The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government is aware that a planning application has been submitted to East Northamptonshire Council in respect of the above development.
East Northamptonshire Council is responsible for the day-to-day planning of its area. The Government’s policy is not to interfere with the jurisdiction of a local planning authority unless it is necessary to do so. This is because local authority councillors are elected to represent the views of local people and, in the main, it is these councillors who are in the best position to decide whether a development should go ahead. In determining a planning application, the local planning authority is required to have regard to all material considerations including the development plan, national policies and views expressed by third parties. It is, of course, for local planning authorities to provide whatever justification that may be appropriate to give for their decisions and procedures.
As this proposal may, at some future date, come within the jurisdiction of the Secretary of State, it would be inappropriate to comment on the specific issues raised in the petition.