PLANS for a Marks and Spencer foodhall have been refused by councillors.
Developers had applied to build three new shops at Leamington Shopping Park.
But at a planning meeting on Tuesday (December 5), Warwick District councillors refused the plans saying the stores would have a detrimental impact on Warwick and Leamington town centres.
One of the shops would have been a foodhall, while the other two would be non-food shops.
The council received several letters of support for the application, with people saying extra shops were needed to cope with the growing population and that the extra jobs would also be welcomed.
A public consultation on the plans also found 95 per cent of shoppers supported the plans.
But objections from Leamington’s Business Improvement District (BID) group and the Chamber of Trade said the shops would push even more people away from the town centre.
Council officers then recommended the plans be refused on the grounds the shops would cause ‘unacceptable harm to the vitality and viability of town centres within the district’ and also raised concerns about traffic congestion and an insufficient level of parking.
A spokeswoman for Leamington Shopping Park said: “Having undertaken extensive local consultation, it is clear there is desire locally for a nearby M&S Foodhall with convenient access and parking.”
