Land Securities’ plans to open a 120,000 sq ft Sainsbury’s supermarket in Corby town centre may have been quashed following the council decision last night to allow the building of a rival store out of town.
Corby borough council’s development control committee resolved to grant planning for Greatline Developments’ plans to build a supermarket on its St James industrial estate, outside the town centre. The developer is understood to have lined up Tesco to occupy the store.
The decision comes just days after LandSec formally agreed a deal to bring Sainsbury’s to Corby.
LandSec portfolio manager Tom Venner said: “We are extremely disappointed with the committee’s decision to resolve to approve the Greatline Developments application for an out-of-town superstore. We believe a superstore in the town centre will attract more shoppers, create jobs, add to Corby’s vibrancy and help secure long-term business and public investment.
“An out-of-town superstore could be seriously damaging for Corby town centre. This decision taken by the council jeopardises the delivery of the much-needed investment in Corby’s town centre by Land Securities and Sainsbury’s, who formally agreed to come to the town earlier this week.
“Successful towns have to have successful centres and need ongoing investment to keep them thriving. It is short-sighted that the council does not recognise this.”
He added: “We have not given up. We know retail and what it takes to make a successful town centre and a superstore in town is what Corby needs. It is what the town centre lacks and what the people of Corby have clearly demonstrated they want. We will now have to consider all our available options.”
samantha.mcclary@estatesgazette.com
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