Walsingham Planning has secured permission for a new Lidl Foodstore in Twickenham, which will house a brand Primary School above it, with a first floor Playground.
A previous mixed use scheme for a Foodstore and Hotel by another party had been refused and Lidl’s initial proposal was for a mixed use scheme for a Foodstore and Flats. However, the Council desperately needed new Primary School accommodation and so the bold decision was taken to plan the School above the Foodstore – one of the first of its kind in the UK.
We overcame a myriad of issues associated with this brownfield site, including loss of Office accommodation, neighbouring residential amenity in a tight-knit urban context, a conservation area setting with an adjacent listed building, strict design criteria, transport and parking considerations, as well as the operational considerations associated with this unusual combination of uses.
A public exhibition prior to the submission of the application was followed up with smaller meetings with groups of residents to keep local people informed of the proposals.
The new development will bring significant benefits to the local community by providing a new Primary School where it is desperately needed as well as enhanced retail provision, additional jobs and environmental improvements. It is hoped that this consent could act as a template which could be replicated elsewhere to provide much needed schools in constrained urban areas.