'Car park demolition would stop us using the shops'

The council authority can only consider the details of the demolition plans rather than whether it should grant approval for the demolition

A council has said it does not need to give permission to the owner of a multi-storey car park for it to demolish the building.

NewRiver Retail, the owner of Horsefair Shopping Centre in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, announced plans to remove the centre's car park to create space for a supermarket.

Residents opposed the plans and feared its loss would lead to a significant increase in illegal parking in the area and less footfall on the High Street.

Fenland District Council told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the demolition would not need formal planning permission and could be carried out under "permitted development rights".

Permission is only being sought for the demolition of the car park and not yet for the building of any new structures

The initial application that was submitted by NewRiver focused on the demolition, but the company explained it wanted to build a supermarket on the site at a later date.

Residents commented on the application and urged the council to intervene due to a lack of parking in the area.

One resident said: "The loss of this car park would lead to us no longer using Wisbech town centre for shopping anymore, and I'm sure we're not the only ones.

"The detrimental impact on the businesses in the area would surely be huge."

Several local councillors also opposed the plans stating: "The parking is absolutely vital for users of the town and Horsefair Shopping Centre... parking will be lost to the great detriment of all the businesses in the close area."

Despite opposition, Dee Laws, a Conservative councillor and the portfolio holder for planning, said: "Demolition of this type of building is permitted in planning law, so the council only has limited powers available when considering this matter.

"We are in discussions with the owners, NewRiver Retail, to ascertain its future plans for the site."