Supermarket allowed to open for longer on bank holidays

Opening times were limited as part of the conditions for granting planning permission for the Lichfield Road store in Cannock in 2009. At the time the store was only permitted to open 8.30am to 8pm on Mondays to Saturdays and 10am to 4pm on Sundays and public holidays.

Since then permission has been granted twice to extend business and car park hours. The latest, granted in 2013, allowed the Asda branch to open between 7am and 11pm Monday to Saturday and 10am to 5pm on Sundays and bank holidays.

Now a further change has been proposed, to allow the store and car park to stay open an extra hour on bank holidays.

Cannock Chase Council’s planning committee granted permission for the store to remain open until 6pm and the car park to stay open until 6.30pm on those days during its latest virtual meeting this month. Planning officers had recommended that the application should be approved.

A letter in support of the application said: “Asda would like to have extended store opening hours on bank holidays to provide greater flexibility for customers.

“It is confirmed that delivery hours would not change as part of this proposal.”

But concerns were raised by residents living near the store.

Ron and Elizabeth Church said: “It has taken nearly four years to try and ensure that the planning restrictions should be observed by the local management.

“We would like to put on record our thanks to the officers of Cannock Chase Council who endeavoured to encourage this store to reduce noise levels in the latter part of 2019. There has been some improvement – however it does appear to be dependent on who is the duty senior.

"For example we were woken on Sunday, 5th January by shouting and the banging of crates at approximately 7am. The continuous noise level was such that we were unable to sleep again.

“We feel that a restriction should be put in place to ensure that they do not open at times of their choice but are restricted to Sunday hours as at present.

“At no time during the four years we have lived here has the car park been closed – despite the fact that pull up bollards are available at the entrance to the car park. We therefore feel that if the car park is allowed to be open for longer hours that it should be securely closed outside of these hours and that the restrictions currently in place for deliveries should include those in the front car park.”