Town council backs new Christmas opening hours for Asda Biggleswade

New opening hours are proposed for Asda Biggleswade

Extra opening hours have been proposed for a Biggleswade supermarket over the festive season, a meeting heard.

A request for Central Bedfordshire Council to allow the Asda store in Church Street to open longer over the Christmas and New Year period has the backing of the town council.

Applicant Asda Stores Limited is asking CBC to vary a condition on a previous planning appeal decision.

Normal opening hours for the premises are 7am to 10pm Mondays to Saturdays, and 10am to 4pm on Sundays.

“The revised times would be 7am to 11pm Mondays to Fridays, and 7am to 10pm on Saturdays and Sundays, except from December 16 to January 3 annually when 6am to midnight is permitted,” according to a letter from the firm to CBC.

“Asda would like to have extended store opening hours annually over the Christmas and New Year period to provide greater flexibility for customers,” said the letter.

”The Christmas period is a busy time within the store and the additional hours proposed by this application will allow customers the chance to shop within a wider range of hours.

“This will in turn help with ensuring that social distancing measures can be adhered to.

“Within this period, Sunday trading hours regulations would still be adhered to.”

The planning condition is from previous proposals for the redevelopment of the site to provide a retail store with catering facilities, a bakery, a pharmacy, dry cleaners and parking for 363 vehicles.

The company’s application over the opening hours has yet to be considered by CBC, although Biggleswade Town Council is raising no objection.

But town councillors want to ensure the hours for delivery lorries remain the same.

Councillor David Albone said: “I wouldn’t be happy with this if I lived nearby.

“If it starts at 6am and goes on until midnight, there are not many hours where there won’t be activity during that period.

“So I would worry about the effect on nearby residents. And I hope it doesn’t have any impact on the times for lorry deliveries."

Councillor Mark Knight agreed, saying: “I don’t have any objection to extending the opening hours of the shop.

“However, I would propose an amendment to say that we need the restrictions on deliveries to remain.”