Former livestock barn could become supermarket to serve 900-home Holbeach Meadows development
A new supermarket to serve residents of a 900-home development could be opening up.
Plans to convert a disused former farm building in Holbeach have been submitted to South Holland District Council.
Car parking, delivery bay, landscaping and ancillary development are also included in the proposal put forward by applicant Ashwood Homes.
The U-shaped building on the corner of Jasmine Crescent and Aster Grove was previously used to house livestock, but if planning approval is granted could be storing modern food stuffs as a store to serve residents of the under-construction Holbeach Meadows scheme.
“The proposals seek permission to convert the 20th Century outbuilding into a small supermarket/convenience store,” the Heritage Impact Assessment produced by the RPS Group says.
“The proposals would include paving around the outbuilding with open green spaces between the farmhouse and outbuilding.
“Works to the outbuilding would include making good the external walling, the addition of a flat roof to the courtyard and the demolition some of the external walls within the courtyard to create a large open space internally.
“The existing corrugated asbestos roof would be replaced with a slate roof covering to match the adjacent farmhouse.”
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The adjacent Grade II-listed Manor Farmhouse has fallen into disrepair and will serve as a ‘public amenity’ and ‘focal point for the new community’, according to plans.
“The relationship between the building and the farmhouse will remain clear and intact, even in light of the proposed changes,” the assessment added.
“This means that the visual and functional connections that exist between these two structures will continue to be apparent, allowing for an understanding of their historic context and interdependence.
“As a result, the historic interest associated with this relationship will not be diminished by the proposals, ensuring that the narrative of the farmhouse and its ancillary buildings as part of a cohesive agricultural landscape remains preserved.”
South Holland district councillor Nanette Chapman, who represents the Holbeach Town ward, has backed the proposal, stating: “The development is large enough to support a retail outlet, and its far enough away from the residential areas not to create any noise of access issues.”
Phase three of the Holbeach Meadows projects was approved by SHDC’s planning committee in September.
