Retail park pharmacy restriction to protect Biggleswade town centre must stay says council

A condition imposed on a business park’s retail outlets to protect town centre trade in Biggleswade should remain valid and not be altered, a meeting heard.

LXB RP (Biggleswade) Limited has submitted a planning application to Central Bedfordshire Council asking for a variation of a previous condition regarding an empty unit at the A1 retail park in London Road.

The change would be for the benefit of chain store Poundland at unit E on the site, but the planning condition from 2014 only permits unit B to be part used as a pharmacy.

Town councillors are “strongly opposed” to the move because it could impact on other pharmacies in the town.

The protection in that condition also covers the sale of food, hairdressing, the direction of funerals, its use as a post office, as a travel agency or an internet cafe, and receiving goods to be washed, cleaned or repaired.

“The variation is to increase the range of permitted goods that can be sold from the premises to facilitate reoccupation of the floorspace by incoming tenant, Poundland,” said a report to a Biggleswade Town Council meeting.

Town councillor Mark Knight said: “This is a vacant unit at the moment and the condition should stand. It was included originally for a reason.

“I’m particularly concerned about the suggestion of a pharmacy operating there because it could be detrimental to the pharmacies operating in the town centre.”

Deputy mayor Madeline Russell agreed, saying: “There was a very good reason for the condition. We’re trying to protect the town centre as much as we can, so the condition should stand.”

Town councillor Duncan Strachan said: “I believe there are a limited number of pharmacy licences available for Biggleswade.

“If there’s a pharmacy which could be operated outside the centre that would be an excuse to move one from the town centre out to a retail park, which isn’t going to be suitable for the community.”

Town councillor Jonathan Woodhead added: “I understand that’s why health and beauty retailer Boots doesn’t operate a full pharmacy at the A1 retail park for that reason, so it’s consistent if we’re opposing this.”

Conservative CBC Biggleswade North and town councillor Ian Bond suggested if the planning authority “is minded to approve this”, it would be worth asking the ward councillors for Biggleswade South to call in the application.

Mayor Grant Fage said that the issue “could be taken up with the two ward councillors” if necessary.

Councillors unanimously approved “strongly objecting” to the variation of condition, as its original intention was to protect the town centre.

CBC’s development management committee would have the final say on the application, if it was called in by ward councillors.