Retail pod to be set up in car park of Deepdale Sainsbury’s

A new ‘retail pod’ is to be set up in the car park of a Preston supermarket.

The miniature unit will be established on the site of the Sainsbury’s store in Deepdale – and will be occupied by a Timpson outlet.

Plans for the Sir Tom Finney Way supermarket to host a standalone branch of the repair and key-cutting specialists have been given the go-ahead by Preston City Council.

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The pod, which will be less than three metres wide and just over six-and-a-half metres long, will be situated in the north east corner of the car park.   A new pedestrian crossing facility will also be installed to ensure safe access for customers.

A report by a town hall planning officer noted that highways bosses at Lancashire County Council had raised no objection to the proposal – not least because it would result only in a “minor” loss of parking on the plot.

The document added:  “The proposed development would be in keeping with the commercial use of the property and would be ancillary to the existing use of the premises as a supermarket. The principle of the application is therefore acceptable.

“[The pod] would be constructed in materials similar in appearance to…Sainsbury’s and would be similar to the style of the existing commercial building. Furthermore, the proposed development would form part of the existing commercial use of the premises and would be in-keeping with the existing commercial character of the site.

“The site is partially surrounded by a residential area and as such would be accessible on foot to the local community. The existing commercial use would remain and the proposed development would not have an unacceptable impact on highway safety or parking provision,” the report concluded.

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