A new Tesco Express store will open soon in Southport town centre after planning permission was granted by Sefton Council.
Tesco will occupy 50-52 Chapel Street, in the units currently occupied by the Roman clothing store, at the entrance to Southport Train Station.
It will add to other Tesco town centre stores already operating on Eastbank Street and on Albert Road, in addition to a Tesco Extra store on Town Lane in Kew.
The investment comes at a busy time for Chapel Street and the town centre area, with the opening of The Fragrance Shop on Saturday following the opening of the new One Below store earlier this month. Building work is currently taking place on the former BHS building on Chapel Street to create 30 new aparthotel rooms, new shops, a new bar and a new cafe.
Nearby, the new look Southport Market opened last week following a £1.4million transformation; the new Beales department store is due to open on Lord Street this August; and a £1million redevelopment of the former Tasker Sports / Christ Church School building on Corporation is underway to create a new Techedia HQ with the creation of 75 new jobs.
The Tesco planning applications for Chapel Street called for the installation of a new shop front including a telescopic sliding door to the front of the building plus the display of three illuminated and three non-illuminated signs.
In his report, Sefton Council Chief Planning Officer Derek McKenzie wrote: “This application affects a unit adjacent to the Lord Street Conservation Area and within the buffer zone of several non-designated heritage assets. However I do not consider the proposed shopfront will cause any significant detrimental impact to these assets..
“The design of the shop front is acceptable and no harm would be created to the street scene.”
The works on site and any construction vehicles must not block the access to Southport Train Station Station, with access there required 24 hours a day.
There were no representations made by any of the new store’s neighbours.
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