Battle to build Lidl on Shrewsbury Town land could be at an end

German chain Lidl wants to build a new store on land at the club's Greenhous Meadow stadium on Oteley Road. Despite having planning permission granted, work has been held up while variations to a legal agreement protecting the land for community use were discussed by planners.

A decision was deferred by Shropshire Council's central planning committee in November over fears of a loss of playing field space. The authority's planning department has recommended that a new section 106 agreement be drawn up between the council and Shrewsbury Town Football Club, which would move the community use requirement to a piece of land which currently operates as the club's training pitch.

As part of that new agreement, it has been suggested the club provides changing facilities and possibly a financial contribution for to ensure the new facilities are better than the current provision.

The recommendation comes as Lidl bosses confirmed they were still fully committed to the project despite the delays.

In recommending that powers be delegated to the area planning manager, case officer Karen Townend said the new section 106 agreement would be subject to no further objections being received from Sport England which had raised doubts about the sustainability of the proposed new community pitch.

She said: "Both national and local policies allow for the loss of sports pitch, providing that there is either an assessment to show the land is surplus to requirements, there is a replacement provision or the development is for alternative sports use.

"Following the objection from Sport England the agent has also confirmed that the club are also willing to enter into a S106 agreement to secure the provision of changing facilities at the new community pitch.

"The proposals put forward by the agent are not for any new pitches to be provided to replace the pitch to be lost to development.

"Their proposals relate to enhancements proposed to the existing training pitch, to be used as the new community pitch, and also to the new training pitch (at Sundorne).

"It is officer's opinion that the provision of additional facilities, to include changing rooms, but could also include other facilities, would meet the tests of the CIL Regulations.

"Without additional facilities at the new community pitch, the loss of the existing community pitch is not mitigated by better provision and therefore fails to comply with adopted policies.

"The provision of facilities is clearly directly related to the proposal to relocate the community pitch and training pitch and officers consider it fairly and reasonably related in scale and kind.

"The detail of what will be provided will need to be secured through a new S106 legal agreement.

"Officers also consider that the legal agreement should include a financial agreement as a fall-back position."

The new community pitch would be leased to Shrewsbury Town in the Community under the proposals, who say it would provide for four local teams to play football and for other sports to be provided for in the summer months.

The charity also says they have identified local partners and possible users and that funding would be sought to change it to a 3g pitch.