Arun District Council is recommending that the scheme at Norway Lane, known as Watersmead Business Park, be refused on the grounds it ‘would result in a significant adverse impact on the vitality, viability and investment’ in Littlehampton and Rustington’s existing shopping areas.
The retail park is proposed for the site of two former Amazon warehouses and the former Body Shop HQ, which was demolished last year.
A retail impact assessment was prepared for the council’s planning committee by Nexus Planning, which suggested if the scheme went ahead Littlehampton town centre could lose approximately 24 to 28 per cent of its trade, while Rustington might see an eight to 14 per cent reduction.
Earlier this year, M&S released a fly-through video of how its new store could look.
While Lidl, which is hoping to open a second store in Littlehampton, was asking residents for views on its plans which feature a new food store with 1,440 sqm floor space, its popular bakery, longer checkouts and 442 parking space.
The planning committee is due to meet on Wednesday (July 22) to discuss the application. In the application report, it states: “The applicant put forward a package of mitigation measures which sought to address the identified retail impacts.
"This package was reviewed by the Council, with independent advice from Nexus Planning, and was considered insufficient to reduce the impacts below the 'significant adverse' threshold.”
The report also states the council is keen to develop the brownfield site, but that does not mitigate the risk to existing retail centres.
The suggested refusal comes despite the council receiving 550 letters of support for the scheme following a ‘promotional campaign’ by M&S in February.
For more information, see the report.
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An artist's impression of how the Watersmead Business Park in Littlehampton could look Photo: Council