Sainsbury’s megastore plan finally reaches checkout as council approves Kew site

Controversial plans for the long awaited Sainsbury’s megastore in Kew have been approved.

Despite concerns council chiefs have moved to protect the future of the Lord Street store, saying it must stay open for at least five years alongside the new Meols Cop site.

Revised plans for a Sainsbury’s supermarket on Meols Cop retail park were presented to the Sefton Council Planning Committee today before being approved with conditions.

Initial plans were first presented five years ago and were only approved after an extensive public enquiry. However work never commenced as planned in 2018 and revised plans for a smaller store are now under consideration.

While the news that the Lord Street will stay until at least 2025, the focus has now turned to furious residents in Kew who say the focus on development should be elsewhere.

A local resident said: “The level of traffic that this will bring to Meols Cop is really concerning. We have a Park and Ride that has remained derelict just behind the store with a decent access road that the Council refuse to open. The amount of supermarkets we have in the town is ridiculous.”

Town centre Cllr John Pugh also weighed in on the decision, saying more needs to be done to protect the town centre.

He said “One part of the Council,so far as the town centre is concerned, is trying to get on the front foot, while the another part might stubbornly insist on shooting itself in the exact same foot.

“With the explosion in door-to-door deliveries, I really think that Sainsburys would have given up on this scheme before now were it not for the bizarrely receptive attitude of the Council.”