Lidl unveils a nod to iconic Sunbeam factory in fresh Wolverhampton store plans
Lidl has attempted to recreate elements of Wolverhampton's iconic Sunbeam factory in resubmitted designs for its planned new city store.
The German supermarket giant went back to the drawing board after council chiefs questioned proposals for a store at the site of the Mercure Goldthorn Hotel on Penn Road.
Concerns were raised that the new store would have a "negative impact on the street scene", with conservation officials deeming the hotel to have "some historical merit".
Walsingham Planning has now submitted a revised scheme, which it claims will "improve the appearance of the site and be acceptable in design and heritage terms".
In a letter to the council, the firm said: "A key amendment to the design of the scheme is the introduction of a saw-tooth roof to the northern and southern sections of the building.
"The roof, as proposed, echoes the many historic industrial buildings in the city, including the Grade II listed former Sunbeam Motor Car building on Imex Business Park; a short distance from the site."
The saw-tooth roof was an iconic feature of the city's Sunbeam factory, which now forms one side of the Imex Business Park on Moorfield Road.
Built in the early 1900s, it was one of the first purpose-built car factories in the country. The site produced vehicles until the 1960s, including land speed record breaking cars.
The amended scheme also features glazing down the side of the store and a widened strip of landscaping between the building and Penn Road, where five new tress will be planted.
An as yet undecided installation paying tribute to local heritage will also feature as part of the scheme.
The letter says: "The revised scheme is a significant improvement upon the original plans and should be considered to address the concerns expressed."
Developers have also attempted to address objections to the scheme, some of which were raised via a residents' petition submitted to Wolverhampton Council in May.
They claim objections around noise and disturbance were "not supported by evidence", and that increased traffic "will not be detrimental to local highway safety" as suggestions of road blockages were "unfounded".
They also argue the historical significance of the site is "low", despite it being recognised with a blue plaque for once being the home of John Rollings, former director of famous city firm Star Cycles.
The site is one of a number across the Black Country and Staffordshire that Lidl is planning to develop over the next few years as part of a major expansion drive
The firm says the store will create 40 jobs.
