News: B&Q plans approved, another retailer eyes up same site
Plans have been approved to enable B&Q, the UK's leading home improvement and garden living retailer, to make a return to central Rotherham.
Plans are also being progressed on behalf of another retailer who wants to open in a vacanct unit nearby.
Rothbiz reported at the end of 2023 that the retailer, part of the Kingfisher group, was eyeing up space at the retail park at Great Eastern Way in Parkgate.
Currently operating at Cortonwood in Rotherham, B&Q closed its store at Northfields, Parkgate in June 2016 when it cut back its UK store numbers. The 51,000 sq ft unit was purposely built to enable a move from the edge of the town centre in 2009.
Plans have now been approved by the site owners that enable two units to be combined together to create a new large store and garden centre. The plans, from Rotherham Foundry RP Limited, involve Units 2 and 3, in addition to the existing rear service yard and a small area of car parking to the front of the units.
Unit 2 (at 9,880 sq ft) is currently occupied by Bensons for Beds and Unit 3 (9,930 sq ft) is currently vacant, having previously been occupied by Harveys Furniture prior to the company entering administration.
The plans were approved without going to the planning board at Rotherham Council.
Planners also agreed with the applicant's assessment that found no available sequentially preferable sites. Sequential tests ensure that development is located in the most sustainable location first (usually in town centres), before other, less sustainable locations are chosen. The issues of the garden centre being ancillary to the B&Q store meant that any large vacant sites in nearby town centres were discounted.
An objection was recieved by retailer The Range, which already operates at the site, but planners say that it raised ownership issues, rather than planning issues which have been addressed.
Planners concluded that: "the proposal is acceptable in this commercial location without being harmful to the area."
Since securing planning permission, the site owners have applied to increase the height of the proposed garden centre enclosure from 3 metres to 4.6 metres.
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Also at the retail park, a planning application has been submitted that would enable another vacant unit to be brought back into use.
Applicants want to increase the range of goods that are permitted to be sold from the unit. This would enable Rotherham Hospice to operate a large charity shop from the 7,900 sq ft Unit 5, which was previously home to United Carpets.
When permission was granted a decade ago for the subdivision of the former Staples unit, Rotherham Council restricted the type of goods that could be sold in the new units. Things like food, clothing, books, media and toileteries are not to be sold.
The application, drawn up by agents at Montagu Evans explains that the proposed Rotherham Hospice shop would operate in addition and be complementary to their existing shops.
The plans state: "The application site has been identified by Rotherham Hospice as the preferred location to expand their existing offering within Rotherham. The proposed operation from the Site will provide a complementary offering from their existing shops, namely that it will sell a wider product range including bulkier items such as furniture and larger collectables, which requires adjacent surface level parking, as well as the provision of a small ancillary café."
A sequential assessment and impact assessment has also been submitted.
It is anticipated that the proposed shop will create an additional ten full time equivalent (FTE) positions and up to 30 volunteer opportunities.
B&Q website
Rotherham Hospice website
Images: Tristan Capital Partners
Plans are also being progressed on behalf of another retailer who wants to open in a vacanct unit nearby.
Rothbiz reported at the end of 2023 that the retailer, part of the Kingfisher group, was eyeing up space at the retail park at Great Eastern Way in Parkgate.
Currently operating at Cortonwood in Rotherham, B&Q closed its store at Northfields, Parkgate in June 2016 when it cut back its UK store numbers. The 51,000 sq ft unit was purposely built to enable a move from the edge of the town centre in 2009.
Plans have now been approved by the site owners that enable two units to be combined together to create a new large store and garden centre. The plans, from Rotherham Foundry RP Limited, involve Units 2 and 3, in addition to the existing rear service yard and a small area of car parking to the front of the units.
Unit 2 (at 9,880 sq ft) is currently occupied by Bensons for Beds and Unit 3 (9,930 sq ft) is currently vacant, having previously been occupied by Harveys Furniture prior to the company entering administration.
The plans were approved without going to the planning board at Rotherham Council.
Planners also agreed with the applicant's assessment that found no available sequentially preferable sites. Sequential tests ensure that development is located in the most sustainable location first (usually in town centres), before other, less sustainable locations are chosen. The issues of the garden centre being ancillary to the B&Q store meant that any large vacant sites in nearby town centres were discounted.
An objection was recieved by retailer The Range, which already operates at the site, but planners say that it raised ownership issues, rather than planning issues which have been addressed.
Planners concluded that: "the proposal is acceptable in this commercial location without being harmful to the area."
Since securing planning permission, the site owners have applied to increase the height of the proposed garden centre enclosure from 3 metres to 4.6 metres.
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Also at the retail park, a planning application has been submitted that would enable another vacant unit to be brought back into use.
Applicants want to increase the range of goods that are permitted to be sold from the unit. This would enable Rotherham Hospice to operate a large charity shop from the 7,900 sq ft Unit 5, which was previously home to United Carpets.
When permission was granted a decade ago for the subdivision of the former Staples unit, Rotherham Council restricted the type of goods that could be sold in the new units. Things like food, clothing, books, media and toileteries are not to be sold.
The application, drawn up by agents at Montagu Evans explains that the proposed Rotherham Hospice shop would operate in addition and be complementary to their existing shops.
The plans state: "The application site has been identified by Rotherham Hospice as the preferred location to expand their existing offering within Rotherham. The proposed operation from the Site will provide a complementary offering from their existing shops, namely that it will sell a wider product range including bulkier items such as furniture and larger collectables, which requires adjacent surface level parking, as well as the provision of a small ancillary café."
A sequential assessment and impact assessment has also been submitted.
It is anticipated that the proposed shop will create an additional ten full time equivalent (FTE) positions and up to 30 volunteer opportunities.
B&Q website
Rotherham Hospice website
Images: Tristan Capital Partners
32 comments:
Lovely stuff!
Brilliant B&Q coming back. A big DIY store is badly needed. We shouldn't have to go to Doncaster.
Will also be good to have a decent size Rotherham hospice shop. I'd love to volunteer
You didn’t have to go to Doncaster. There’s one at Cortonwood.
I go to the one in Chesterfield on my home from Peppermint Rhino's.
Never been a B&Q fan. Very expensive stuff.
A new strip club opened in Donny last week. Just saying.
Why?
Why? Because there’s obviously demand for one in Doncaster.
Can't they just go to Chesterfield like everyone else?
Just to add a little balance to this discussion, it is not all one way traffic between Chesterfield and Rotherham. I live in Chesterfield and support Chesterfield FC but regularly travel over to Rotherham for the night life.
It is only in the County, for example, that I can get to take part in strip karaoke or place a bet on how many punters will vomit on their shoes.
Yes, it's a cracking night out that
The County's "Vomit on shoes" scratchcard is very popular with the regulars. As are the "When will a fight break out" raffle tickets.
Fancy Dress Friday is great fun. Everybody dresses up as someone normal.
Lots of regulars go in for the pub quiz. First prize is a two week alibi.
Second prize a Sunday Joint, third prize some meat.
Great news that Netflix are using the County for location shooting of "Night of the Living Dead"
Netflix are saving a fortune on costumes and makeup
The only pub in England that has a weekly carvery but doesn't serve food.
With apologies in advance to our Calvinist contributor :
A penguin walks into the County and says to the barman, "Has my brother been in this morning?"
The barman says"Dunno. What does he look like'?
That will be a very small B&Q !
Nowt wrong with county,full of real people,which is good these days,as opposed to key board characters,who believe there own clap trap and somehow think they're comedians 😏
Anyone who needs to add a smiley face to their post to show that they are attempting to be funny are failing miserably. Presumably you are one of the "real people" who fill the County and that explains a lot.
Do you mind?!!!
This is a thread about the County.
Spot on! Nowt wrong wi't County. It's a smashing old building. But the real people who use it? Really?
🤣😅😏😍🙄😉😒😂
And the penguin said, "a bit like one of your bouncers" 🐧
What's a key board character?
Well, he could have meant to say either cardboard characters or keyboard warriors.
But his keyboard skills and grammar are so poor, he could have been trying to say something entirely different
He meant "their own claptrap"
This board is full of detestable middle class types who love nothing more than looking down their nose.
Possibly the most accurate comment I've ever read on here.
Do they only have one nose between them?
Laughable that someone can say that about their own lamentable post.
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