Lidl has won permission to build a new supermarket in the centre of Brentwood – overturning a decision from the local council which had argued the traffic impact would be “unacceptable”. 

Brentwood Borough Council now faces costs after the successful appeal by the chain won permission to develop the site, in Wates Way off Ongar Road, into a food store and 46 residential flats. 

The council, advised by Essex County Council, refused planning permission on the basis that a four-stage traffic signalised junction, which was argued as necessary for highway safety reasons, would lead to an “unacceptable impact on the free flow of traffic along Ongar Road and Wilsons Corner”. 

But appeal inspector John Wilde said an alternative three-stage signalised junction would not give rise to an unacceptable impact on highway safety. 

The inspector went on to accept the developer’s case that, whilst the introduction of traffic signals in place of an existing mini-roundabout at the proposed site access would inevitably cause some delay, the impact of the development upon the network would not be severe. 

Mr Wilde also concluded that the proposed development would not compromise the achievement of air quality targets and would not present an unacceptable risk of exposure to air pollution. 

In a statement as part of a decision to allow the appeal, Mr Wilde added: “The council were concerned that should the proposed signalised junction prove not to be deliverable then the site could be left for a considerable time in an unkempt state, to the detriment of the character and appearance of the area.  

“There is no policy basis for this and it seems to me that whether or not a development is deliverable or not is a risk taken by the developer.”  

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The developer obtained an order for a partial award of costs in relation to the air quality and deliverability grounds of refusal. 

Cllr Cliff Poppy, deputy leader of Brentwood Borough Council, said he could only say discussions were ongoing between Essex County Council and Brentwood Borough Council. 

An Essex County Council spokesperson said: “The planning inspector did acknowledge that our concerns regarding highway capacity and safety were appropriate though he decided not to accept them as being enough of a reason to refuse planning permission in this case."