Tesco SLAMS M&S’ foodhall plans at busy retail park in Northampton – and so does WNC

In June 2024, M&S submitted plans to open a foodhall at the former Homebase unit in Riverside Retail Park, with a decision expected by October 2024. However, the proposal has faced two major objections.

The first comes from WNC’s highways team and National Highways, who are concerned about traffic.

A WNC Highways spokesman said: “We don’t believe the potential impact of the development has been fully assessed. The existing Lumbertubs interchange is already over capacity, and even with the proposed traffic, it would be unacceptable without improvements to the Ferris Row arm.”

They added: “We don’t think the applicant has demonstrated the true impact or the effectiveness of the mitigation measures, so we must object at this time.”

The second objection comes from Tesco, regarding its nearby store at Weston Favell.

Tesco’s representatives argue that M&S’s assessment of the impact on nearby shopping areas is ‘flawed’, and that the proposed foodhall could harm other nearby retail areas – Weston Favell District Centre or Kingsthorpe District Centre – which they say is against policy relating to retail impact.

They go on to say that the combined effect of the M&S store and two new Lidl supermarkets in the area could significantly reduce footfall.

They said: “With the cumulative impact of all three stores, a reduction in footfall would likely be substantial. The impact on an anchor store is intrinsically tied to a significant reduction in linked trips supporting the district centres as a whole.”

The supermarket giant warned that damage to anchor stores could also affect other businesses in the shopping centre.

They said: “The impact on anchor stores is linked to a major reduction in the number of customers supporting the centres as a whole. Anchor stores are crucial for driving foot traffic, and their decline could harm the health of the entire shopping area.”

Tesco also argued that M&S didn’t consider a better location for the foodhall – the former Sainsbury’s store in the Grosvenor Centre.

They said: “The site has been vacant since March 2021 and its closure was a considerable loss in terms of large format foodstores for the town centre, alongside the closure of the Abington Street M&S in 2018. Reoccupation of this unit… could bring significant investment, contributing to the viability and vitality of the centre. It would reduce the vacancy level and boost investor confidence in the centre, alongside larger redevelopment plans.”