April 23, 2021 1.16 pm This story is over 35 months old

New Scunthorpe retail park up for approval

New hotel, shops and restaurants
An artist's impression of the new site. | Image: The Harris Partnership

A new retail park which would include a 120-bedroom hotel, five new restaurants, four shops and a gym, on the edge of Scunthorpe will be approved next week.

Rafkins (Scunthorpe) Leisure Park’s plans for land off Jack Brownsword Way will be recommended for approval at North Lincolnshire Council’s planning committee on Monday.

The applicant said the development next to the former Frankie and Benny’s on the Gallagher Retail Park will create more than 100 full-time jobs.

Two of the restaurants are planned to be drive through facilities, while more than 150 car parking spaces will be provided in the plans.

In their design and access statement, they said the plans would deliver a “well thought-out high quality proposal that seeks to improve the context of the park and serve the wider community.”

The build would be situated near Scunthorpe United’s stadium. | Image: The Harris Partnership

A report from council officers before next Monday’s committee said: “The proposal would carry high socio-economic benefits for the locality in the creation of business and jobs.

“Ultimately, on balance, the proposal does represent a sustainable form of development that would have both social and economic benefits for the principal settlement of North Lincolnshire, despite it being an edge of town development.”

How the site would be laid out. | Image: The Harris Partnership

Officers said the applicant had proved there were no suitable alternative locations for the plans and that it complied with a number of planning policies.

One objection to the plan calls for drive-thru restaurants included in the plan to be scrapped and replaced by “proper restaurants” and for the development to attract “upmarket” chains like Nando’s and Pizza Express.