Morbaine lines up Wensleydale retail
The developer is looking to build a 20,000 sq ft supermarket in Aiskew, in response to increased housebuilding in the area.
After pre-application discussions with Hambleton District Council, plans have been lodged with North Yorkshire Council for the Aiskew project, which sits off Bedale Road between Bedale and Leeming Bar.
A 1,500 sq ft drive-thru unit is also included in the plans.
A mile from Bedale, the site is currently a field, and sits next to an 85-home residential development being delivered by Taylor Wimpey, known as Beaumont Gate.
The housebuilder also acquired a consented Aiskew site from Barratt to add to its portfolio in the area.
Morbaine’s professional team is led by architect Gordon White & Hood and planner Nexus, and also feature transport advisor Turner Lowe Associates, Hepworth Acoustics and engineer DTS Raeburn.
The proposals include 157 parking spaces. In the documents submitted, Nexus talks of the limited retail offer in Bedale, which has a Co-op convenience store, a Nisa Local and a Morrisons ‘Daily’ format shop.
Although no operator is named, the size of the scheme as outlined is typical of that delivered by both Lidl and Aldi, the pair of European discounters that have made major inroads in the UK grocery scene through smaller format units than those typically operated by the established giants.
Boith operators tend to build schemes with a net sales area of around 13,000 sq ft to 14,000 sq ft within a 20,000 sq ft building, as is described in the Aiskew application.
Nexus said: “Morbaine has identified a qualitative deficiency in respect of the existing convenience goods offer in Bedale, and the site at Bedale Road has been identified as a sustainable opportunity to address this issue and supplement the current grocery offer in the town.
“It is likely that the proposed foodstore would be occupied by a discount food store operator. By way of context, the nearest existing discount foodstore provision in the wider area is located around 12 kilometres away from Bedale in Northallerton.”
Based in Widnes, Morbaine has experience in bringing supermarket schemes through planning. In 2021, the firm secured consent for a 16,000 sq ft store on a former pub site close to Stockport town centre, following this with a bid for a 20,000 sq ft store on the nearby Hope Mill site.
Morbaine’s planning application number on the North Yorkshire planning portal is ZB23/00803/OUT.
