Tesco’s second application for cash machine thrown out by council

The supermarket giant opened a new ‘Express’ shop on the site of the old Silver Wok in Brighton Road in August last year.

While Horsham District Council’s Development Control North Committee approved applications for signage, a new canopy, air conditioning units, minor external alterations, and widening of the access last year, it rejected plans for an external Automatic Teller Machine (ATM).

Tesco then appealed to the planning inspector, who upheld HDC’s decision, arguing that use of the cash machine at night could ‘adversely affect the living conditions of neighbouring residents’.

It then submitted a new application with removable bollards to restrict access to the car park overnight and a cover for the ATM to stop people using it when the store is shut in an effort to overcome the inspector’s concerns.

But HDC rejected fresh plans. Godfrey Newman (LDem, Forest) felt that with more people parking outside the store to use the cash machine the situation ‘can and will be fairly chaotic’.

Peter Burgess (Con, Holbrook West) added: “We turned it down, we can turn it down again. It will cause further disruption.”

Mike Dancy, who lives in St Leonards Road, said: “I was pleasantly suprised and delighted by the HDC decision to reject Tesco’s re-application for an external ATM.

“For once HDC listened to the voice and experience of the people and were brave enough to take on Tesco’s threats of appeal costs.”