Car park approved for burgeoning Cotswolds Designer Outlet
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A planning application for a new car park to support the hugely successful Cotswolds Designer Outlet at Ashchurch has been approved by Tewkesbury Borough Council subject to signing a S106 agreement.
The car park will provide 607 spaces on a 4-acre site owned by developer Robert Hitchins immediately south of the new outlet at Natton House.
There will be 428 spaces at surface level with the remainder in a single-storey decked building, just 5.5 metres high. Access will be from Fiddington Lane and there will be a footpath and cycleway, making a short walk or cycle to the Outlet.
Simon Tothill, Property & Development Director for Robert Hitchins Ltd, said: “We are very pleased with the success of Phase One of the Cotswolds Designer Outlet since its opening in July. The stores are all trading exceptionally well and we couldn’t have wished for a better reception from retail brands, customers and local residents. It is showing all the signs of becoming one of the leading retail outlets in the UK.”
He added that to accommodate Phase Two of the Outlet and make way for another 20-25 stores, it was essential to provide enough parking.
“It’s great news that the site at Natton House has been approved so we can proceed with confidence in building on the success of this landmark retail development,” he said.
Phase 1 of the Outlet at Junction 9 of the M5 opened on July 16 with 96 per cent occupancy (now risen to 98 per cent), and has been hailed as an outstanding retail success which has and will continue to provide an enormous boost to the local economy.
The planning officer’s report recommended approval of the proposals for more parking in light of the number of jobs being created at the outlet and its importance to the wider economic health of the area.
The application was approved unanimously subject to conditions concerning landscaping, pedestrian access, litter bins, lighting and dust management during construction.
The original outline permission for the Cotswolds Designer Outlet site allows for a total 2,200 parking spaces.
