Lidl store proposal recommended for refusal

The proposed Lidl store in Wareham has been recommended for rejection due to its position in a green belt area

Plans to build a Lidl in a residential area have been recommended for refusal by council officers.

The potential store in Sandford, near Wareham, will have its application decided by councillors at a Dorset Council meeting on Wednesday.

The 1.25 hectare (3 acres) site had been suggested between Sanford Road and Pottery Lines.

The proposal has received more that 600 public comments, a mixture of objections and supporters.

The proposed site is close to the Sandford pub, off the A351 and adjacent to Sibley Potter roundabout, which leads to the B3075 Morden Road

Concerns raised by members of the public include the impact of the store on the town centre and adjacent sites of special scientific interest, like Sandford Heath and Morden Bog.

The proposed site is close to the Sandford pub, off the A351 and adjacent to Sibley Potter roundabout, which leads to the B3075 Morden Road.

Supporters have said the location would offer the area a wider choice of goods and bring jobs to the area.

They believe it would reduce the need to travel into Poole, Wareham or Swanage, where car parking fees are seen as an unnecessary additional cost.

Councillors will hear recommendations about the site at a meeting on Wednesday

The site was first proposed in July 2022, with Lidl's agents challenging all claims made against the development.

The proposal includes 112 parking spaces and Lidl has said it would employ 35 part time and five full time staff.

Dorset Council officers say the eastern area planning committee, which is due to meet in Wimborne, should reject the plans because of damage to the green belt - an area of land protected from urban development.

A report set to be presented to councillors says if the committee agrees to the proposal, it would have to be referred to the secretary of state.

The report explains this is because the development is in excess of the 1,000 sq m (10,763.9 sq ft) limit for development within a green belt.

The secretary of state, Rt Hon Yvette Cooper, would then have to decide whether or not a public inquiry into the proposals would be justified.