By Residents oppose plans to replace church hall with Co-op
Residents have opposed plans to demolish St John Fisher Church Hall on Waltham Road, Scartho, and replace it with a funeral directors and Co-op store.
The building has been vacant since 2017.
Plans submitted to North East Lincolnshire Council by the Lincolnshire Co-op group would see it demolished and a new one-storey store built instead.
The shop would be accompanied by a Co-op funeral directors and parking spaces to the front of the building.
One local resident said:
“This is an already busy road and adding a shop where cars will be pulling in and out of a car park is going to increase the risk of road traffic accidents.
“Additionally I have visited the local shops such as Swales butchers and cake shop for many years and I worry what impact another shop will have on these local independent businesses.
“I do not believe the value of an additional shop outweighs the risk of putting local shops of business.”
Another questioned the need for another convenience store, noting the nearby Spar and Costcutter shops. They said:
“The two medium-sized convenience stores at the Village have served the area well over the years, even through this pandemic, and the last thing residents in this area need is yet another convenience store within 500 metres.
“I can foresee in time one of these stores going out of business.”
A heritage assessment has already concluded that in its existing form, the site is of negligible value to the surrounding area.
It added that the benefits of the proposal outweigh the risks.
If the proposal is approved, a building twice the size of the existing church hall will be erected on the site.
Plans suggest that the store would open 7 days a week between 7am and 10pm.
The funeral services building would open 6 days a week.
Contact Gi Grimsby
Email us: news@gi-media.co.uk
Follows us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest local stories, breaking news and to join the conversation
