Shopping centre's partial demolition approved
GooglePlans to demolish a section of a shopping centre in Loughborough have been given the go-ahead.
Charnwood Borough Council's planning committee approved a planning application on Thursday from Leicester Commercial Limited to knock down part of Carillon Court.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service said councillors raised concerns that without any promise of future development, the town centre site, which had attracted anti-social behaviour, could lie empty indefinitely.
The applicant said the demolition must be completed before final plans were drawn up in case any archaeological obstacles were uncovered.
Documents submitted by the applicant said the proposed demolition would provide a "clean, tidy, cleared site ready for future redevelopment".
A report prepared for councillors said a number of previous applications for prior approval to demolish sections of the site had been refused.
Rhys Cory-Lowsley, councillor for Loughborough Southfields, said he was "not convinced" the developer was a "courteous neighbour" to Tyler's Department Store.
"So with that in mind, can members trust that the demolition site will not be left as a barren and unkempt scrubland in the centre of the largest town in the borough?
"Without any plans as to what might happen next, we have no assurance that anything will be done, or how long we might have a demolition site for a town centre," he said.
The applicant's agent told members that granting permission would "unlock" the next phase of the scheme, and that they would be able to provide more information on future plans once the groundwork had been completed.
He said it was "vital" to keep momentum on the project, and added the developer had been taking local concerns into account.
In the planning application, the developer submitted an image of the shopping centre from Angel Row, and said it was seeking permission for the demolition of the brick-faced building to the point that it meets the building comprising the car park.
The arch structure and buildings above would be retained, using existing supporting columns, it added.
"The ultimate intention for Carillon Court includes its redevelopment for a mixed-use scheme.
"The proposed development seeks the demolition of a limited number of the existing vacant units to provide a clean, tidy, cleared site ready for future redevelopment," a report submitted by the applicant adds.
According to a report by the borough council, the proposed demolition related to units 12, 25, 26, 27, and 28A of the shopping centre and the empty single storey unit next to unit 12, which do not have the car park above.
The report states "concerns" had been raised regarding the absence of an approved redevelopment scheme for the site.
However, it added the demolition of empty units "would not prevent the continued operation" of the rest of the shopping centre nor "prejudice potential future redevelopment" of the site as a whole.
Council documents also state the authority was "aware of ongoing issues" relating to anti-social behaviour and the accumulation of refuse in and around Carillon Court.
It said following the proposed demolition the site would need to be "appropriately secured" by fencing.
Additional reporting by Dan Hunt
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