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Gloucestershire Business News

BIG PLANS: Go-ahead for second phase of shops at Cotswold Designer Outlet

Developers can forge ahead with the second raft of shops at Cotswold Designer Outlet despite concerns the land should be used for parking.

Details of the appearance, layout, scale and landscaping of phase two the project have been approved by Tewkesbury Borough Council.

The huge project next to the M5 in Ashchurch was granted outline planning permission back in June 2016.

Work on phase one began in earnest in 2023 and is now nearing completion. Due to open in the summer  it will comprise 10,115 sqm of retail space and 1,100 car parking spaces.

When complete, phase two will comprise another 3,621 sqm of retail space and will mean the outlet has around 90 shops in total.

A reserved matters application confirming details for the second phase was approved by delegated decision on Friday (Jan 24).

Officer said the proposed development would result in an "acceptable layout, appearance, access and landscaping" and was "in accordance with the outline consent".

However, objectors have said the land, which sits to the east of the site, should be used for car parking.

Ashchurch Rural Parish Council (ARPC) objected and said: "ARPC are aware that the 2 phase of the Retail Outlet Centre has approval at the outline application however, ARPC object to this application based on insufficient car parking provision."

In 2021 permission was granted (20/00443/FUL) for the phase two land to be used as a temporary 364-space car park for five years, once phase one opened.

Developers said it would "support the establishment and viability of the factory outlet centre prior to the development of the second phase of the centre."

Concerns were raised last year when developer Robert Hitchins Limited then submitted a series of four planning applications seeking to put retail units on the phase two site and add a 607-space car park,  on grazing fields to the south of the site.

It was initially proposed to be a multi-story but was altered to a surface level car park and single storey decked car park, camouflage by landscaping.

An objector to this latest reserved matter application said the site was being "overdeveloped" and added: "This area would be better used for landscaping and car parking which would negate the request for a five-storey car park."

A second objector wrote: "I believe the replacement of the east car park (364 spaces) with additional retail space has led to the developer to request a multi-storey car park on site (applications 449 and 551).

"As the parking provision is currently satisfactory I urge the planning authorities to reject the application to change the car park into retail space."

The planning officer's report said: "Whilst the parish council have objected on insufficient parking grounds, the parking lost through this development was only a temporary measure with a limited time period of five years of use for when phase one came into operation.

"Therefore, it would be removed in any case within five years of the outlet centre becoming operational.

"The county highways officer has raised no concerns regarding the quantum of car parking serving the development without the temporary car park and there are no objections on highway

grounds to the proposed details of the reserved matters application.

"The highway authority has concluded that there would not be an unacceptable impact on highway safety or a severe impact on congestion."

It said the proposals for the extra 607-space car park are "expected to be considered at planning committee in due course".

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