Is work on the huge new Sainsburys supermarket and petrol station at Meols Cop retail park in Southport finally due to begin?
The scheme, which would bring 400 new jobs to Southport, has met with long delays since the application was initially approved back in 2016.
The development would be built on the site of the former Homebase store and two adjacent units, which have been empty and derelict since Homebase closed. For the past four years Sainsburys has declined to comment on when work on the new store would start, with an application for a proposed smaller store being submitted and approved by Sefton Council planning chiefs as an apparent fall-back option.
Progress now finally appears to be happening with the developer behind the scheme asking Sefton Council to make safety improvements to Meols Cop Road ahead of building work going ahead.
As part of the application, planning conditions included a new traffic lights signal-controlled junction built in place of the existing one-way slip road entrance onto the retail park.
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Double yellow lines would also be painted along both sides of Meols Cop Road to prevent any parking from Kew Roundabout to the midpoint of Fine Jane’s Brook.
Work for both has now been approved by council officers with work about to take place.
The Sainsburys planning application has been referred back to the Secretary of State with a recommendation for approval.
But ahead of the scheme being officially rubber stamped, the developer behind it has asked Sefton Council to progress highways work on Meols Cop Road ahead of building work taking place.
“Whilst accepting that any such work will be solely at their risk given that planning permission is not yet in place, the developer has nevertheless requested that the legal procedures be started,” said Sefton Council Head of Locality Services Andrew Walker in his report to councillors.
“All non-refundable payments for these processes have been received by the council.”
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