Morrisons has lodged an official objection to the building of a new Lidl supermarket in Verwood.

The rival supermarket chain makes a number of points why the building should not go ahead, including access junction arrangement, servicing arrangement, car parking space sizes, trip generation and highway impact assessment.

Reference is made to an earlier application for the site, opposite the Texaco Garage, for a 64 bedroom care facility that was refused on a variety of grounds including highways.

Morrisons picks up on the size of the car parking spaces, which is proposed at 2.5m x 4.7m along the north, west and eastern boundary. “Car parking spaces should measure at least 4.8 metres in length to be in accordance with MfS1 guidance and be suitable for most private vehicles,” Morrisons’ representative Exigo Project Solutions points out.

Morrisons also says the proposed layout does not include any provision for ULEVs, including the allocation of parking spaces or the installation of vehicle charging infrastructure. Quoting the National Planning Policy Framework, Morrisons says the application should be refused because appropriate opportunities to promote sustainable transport modes have not been included, despite Morrisons not having any of its own working Electric Vehicle charging facilities.

However, planning permission has been approved for two rapid EV charging points opposite the development site.

Verwood Town Council is also against the application, saying it strongly objects to the removal of the 200-year-old oak tree in the site, visual impact detrimental to street scene, and concerns regarding heavy traffic.

In addition, the Transport Assessment (TA) says a Construction Traffic Management Plan (CTMP) must be submitted to and approved in writing by the Planning Authority.

Lidl is proposing a new neighbourhood foodstore with 1,175² sales area, which would have 2,000 core products and “only 2 or 3 deliveries a day to a recessed loading bay on the side of the building. The existing access to the caravan storage site will be adjusted slightly and moved 6m to the west of the existing access. The accesses to the residential properties will be closed to leave one vehicular access point. Pedestrian and cycle access will also be directly from Ringwood Road.

Lidl’s closest stores to Verwood are Ferndown and Ringwood, with around 760 locations around the UK, and over 10,000 worldwide.

Over 30 objections have been submitted against the proposed development so far.