Eastbourne Tesco earmarked for major development work after submitted plans

The application seeks permission to amend the existing car park so as to facilitate the installation of new ‘Click and Collect’ and ‘dot com’ facilities

within the south-eastern part of the existing car park serving the Tesco superstore on Lottbridge Drove.

A planning inspector had also approved plans to build a pair of drive throughs within the car park of the Tesco Extra.

As part of the plans, a total of 25 existing car parking spaces, 14 standard bays and 11 parent and child parking, would be removed in the south-east section of the car park.

In other areas of the car park, two new parent and child bays would be installed and four standards bays would be removed.

As a result of the appeal development, the number of spaces within the car park would decrease to 453, equating to a decrease in 81 spaces.

The plans state: “The requirement for an upgraded ‘Click and Collect’ facility is evidence of the changing patterns of shopping habits, with increasing numbers of customers electing to use such an offering.

"Improving the facility at this Site is likely to increase the number of customers that use this facility, who would otherwise have occupied a space within the car park whilst conducting their shopping in-store.

"The new ‘Click and Collect’ facility is proposed as close as possible to the ‘dot com’ facility to maximise integration and minimise customer wait time. Indeed, this model has the flexibility to be able to offer customers the highest number of slots per hour out of all of Tesco’s different ‘Click and Collect’ models.

"This will ensure that the proposal does not result in increased traffic either within the car park itself or on the public highway.

"In summary, the proposal is considered acceptable in all technical and other aspects. It is argued that the proposal will have no adverse impacts against the existing situation. On that basis, the proposal is considered to comply with the development plan.”

Eastbourne Borough Council have set a target determination date of May 5 for the plans (Planning Application 240167) and residents are can comment on the plans up until April 29.