The Boston Borough Council Planning Committee approved the construction of a retail unit on land south of Swineshead Road, including car parking and landscaping. The development, intended for a Marks & Spencer (M&S) food store, is subject to several conditions and a Section 106 agreement¹ to mitigate its impact. Concerns were raised about traffic congestion, the location of bus stops, and the potential impact on the town centre, but ultimately the committee voted to approve the application.

Marks & Spencer Food Store Approval

The committee approved planning application B 25 0042 for the construction of a retail unit for a Marks & Spencer food store south of Swineshead Road. The development includes 134 standard parking spaces, six accessible spaces, six parent and child spaces, seven electric vehicle (EV) spaces, seven staff spaces, and 16 bicycle spaces. The agent for the application, Charlotte Perry from Planning Potential, stated that the location is well-suited alongside existing retail uses, forming a growing retail cluster. Phil Marsden, the town planning manager at M&S, said that the store would bring a much-loved brand back to the town, providing residents with a high-quality food shopping destination.

The approval is subject to several conditions, including:

• A Section 106 agreement for two new bus stops and a bus shelter on the A52 Swineshead Road.
• A £25,000 contribution towards cycle access improvements.
• A £5,000 contribution for travel plan monitoring.
• An agreed scheme to provide suitable offsite biodiversity net gain through units acquired from a 3rd party habitat bank.

The committee also amended condition 16 to allow deliveries on Sundays and bank holidays, following consultation with environmental health officers.

Traffic and Highway Safety

Several councillors raised concerns about the potential for increased traffic congestion in the area, particularly on Swineshead Road, West End Road, and Chain Bridge Road. Councillor Anton Dani said that he was concerned that traffic will endanger the town centre. Councillor Claire Rylott, Portfolio Holder - Green Spaces and Travel, also voiced concerns about the safety of bus stops located on Swineshead Road, suggesting they should be within the development for safety reasons, especially for elderly people.

Despite these concerns, the Highway Authority did not object to the proposal, stating that the development would have a good connection to the principal local road network. The council report stated that the applicant demonstrated that safe and appropriate access could be achieved to the application site, and that capacity exists within the surrounding highway network to absorb and accommodate the likely number of vehicle movements that would be generated.

Impact on Town Centre Vitality

Councillor Anton Denning raised concerns about the impact of the new store on the vitality of Boston town centre, which he said was already struggling. Charlotte Perry from Planning Potential, responded that the scheme would not jeopardise the health of the town centre, as it is a complementary retail offer. She said that household surveys have identified existing M&S shoppers in the town, and this store would bolster the retail offer and stop people from leaving Boston to shop.

The council instructed Stantec, a third-party consultant, to conduct an independent review of the retail impact assessment. Stantec concluded that while there is limited demand for additional convenience stores, the M&S would introduce a new retail offer, choice, and competition to Boston. The council report stated that the development would add to the offering for the town without proposing a directly competing retail offering that would adversely affect/diminish the vitality and viability/vibrancy of Boston's town centre and primary shopping/retail area.

Black Sluice Internal Drainage Board Bylaw

Councillor Stephen Woodliffe raised concerns about the Black Sluice Internal Drainage Board bylaw, which restricts building within 9 metres of a watercourse. He asked whether problems with Black Sluice could be part of the conditions of the planning application to enforce that they actually happen. The planning officer responded that if the applicant wished to build something within 9 metres of the landward toe of the bank, then they would need the internal drainage board permission anyway, so it would be subject to a separate consent.