Cabe draws up report on store-led schemes

The watchdog admitted its concern over the design quality of recent supermarket-led schemes prompted it to put out the report.

Its director of campaigns, Matt Bell, said: “People are beginning to wake up to the fact that there’s an issue here.”

Last week Cabe was forced to watch as a controversial Collado Collins scheme for Tesco at Bromley-by-Bow in east London was given the planning green light – despite Cabe listing a string of perceived failures across two design reviews which prompted it to conclude: “Given the shortcomings of the current proposal we think it should not be approved in its current form.”

Bell added: “The report is about how they [supermarkets] do better quality mixed-use schemes, particularly ones led by major housing.”

He said Cabe was concerned that local authorities would wave through inappropriate schemes in order to stimulate economic growth in their region.

“The difficulty is, especially in the current fiscal climate, that local authorities are only able to see jobs and investment,” Bell said.

“We need to balance that with the long-term responsibility to create good plans.”

Cabe said the problems with the Collado Collins scheme ranged from traffic issues to the supermarket’s size.

But Tesco defended its scheme, which includes housing, a library, a hotel and a school.

A spokesman said: “There has been a lot of misunderstanding around this scheme. This is a high quality scheme in an area that urgently needs regeneration.

“We have taken on board the view of all consultees and it was decided the design was good and was appropriate for the location.”

The retailer said it hadn’t made any changes to the design following Cabe’s review because they were still within the guidelines of the planning authority – the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation.

Tesco is aiming to have the scheme, which is close to the Olympic Park, completed in time for the 2012 Games.