Questions in the House Over Coalville Town Centre

The continuing controversy over Council decisions on the future of Coalville town centre spilled over onto the floor of the House of Commons this week when local MP David Taylor rubbished North West Leicestershire District Council’s handling of the matter as an ‘utter fiasco’.

David raised the issue during Commons Questions on Tuesday when he asked Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government John Denham what the Government was doing ”to reaffirm a commitment to “town centre first” policies and adopt a presumption against out-of-town developments, which seem to be creeping back in, and whether there has been a definition of what is meant by “town centres”?”

David told the Commons “The handling of much needed major commercial proposals for the heart of Coalville by North-West Leicestershire District council has been an utter fiasco. Will the Minister press the Government Office for the East Midlands to respond to my urgent request for a call-in, because to describe the present position as a dog’s breakfast would be a grossly unfair slur on canine eating habits?”

Mr. Denham gave an assurance that the Government “remain as committed as we ever have been to the effective protection of town centres from unplanned and badly planned out-of-town shopping developments.

“Obviously, call-in proposals are considered by Ministers on the basis of the case that is made, but he has made his views very clear this afternoon.”

Ends

Notes to Editors

David Taylor MP had previously contacted the Government Office of the East Midlands and the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government urging them to 'call in' the planning application for a new Tesco store at High Street/Whitwick Road, Coalville and make it the subject of a public inquiry - as well as asking them to instigate an independent inquiry into the 'dreadful decisions' by North West Leicestershire District Council.

The Council considered two edge of centre retail planning applications in Coalville by Asda at the Mitchell Grieve factory site (80,000 sq ft) and Tesco/Parkridge at the Ford Garage site (35,000 sq ft).

Both these applications had been recommended for refusal by the Council’s professional officers who had taken independent planning advice in framing their recommendations.