Sainsbury's green light for car parts site for Great Barr store
Sainsbury's has been given the green light to build a new multi-million pound supermarket in the Black Country in moves that will create hundreds of jobs.
The supermarket giant will demolish a former car parts factory off Old Walsall Road in Great Barr to build the new store.
As well as the new two-storey 30,665 sq ft supermarket, the plans include a car park with 302 spaces, junction adjustments, a new roundabout and six industrial buildings.
Bosses promise the project off Old Walsall Road will create 220 new jobs to operate the store plus 420 in construction.
The plans were approved by Birmingham City Council's planning committee at a meeting yesterday, with eight members voting in favour of the development and six against.
But this had followed a fierce debate with some saying the authority would be forfeiting good industrial land.
Among those objecting to the plans was Councillor Barry Henley, who said jobs were more likely to be lost than gained as smaller retailers lost business.
He said the committee would be 'foolish' to approve it. "This is clearly an application too far in taking industrial land we require," he said.
Councillor John Clancy said: "There is a crisis in the city in terms of good urban industrial land. We are well below the reservoir of industrial land we should expect to have."
But their argument was tempered by councillor Bob Beauchamp who said: "Hamstead does need a store of some sort." And Councillor Keith Linnecor who said: "They are jobs that are badly needed in that area.
"The day we forget people need jobs urgently is a day we will regret."
The new building will feature a sloping roof and glazed lobby entrance. As part of the scheme, Sainsbury's will pay £900,000 to the Aston Regional Investment site, which includes improvements to Hamstead and or Aston Station.
Work is currently under way to build a £65 million Sainsbury's store at Raglan Street, in Wolverhampton.
