Sainsbury's and CFH Total Document Management have submitted a joint planning application to B&NES Council for the development of a food store on CFH's site off Wells Road in Westfield.
The application seeks full planning permission for the store, petrol station, customer café and highway improvements to the junction of Wells Road and Cobblers Way.
The planning application reflects much of the feedback received during the consultation process, which included a two-day public exhibition attended by more than 500 local people. Sainsbury's say 75% of attendees that completed a feedback form supported all or aspects of the proposal.
Changes to the proposal include: pedestrian access and safety was a key point raised during the consultation and as a result, Sainsbury's have removed the proposed roundabout on Wells Road, instead improving the current junction and pedestrian crossings. Changes also include moving the petrol station further away from residential houses and reducing its size from six pumps to four. The proposal also sees the store moved slightly to allow for increased landscaping along the boundaries and removing the separate delivery access that was proposed on Cobblers Way, instead, incorporating it on site for the benefit of residents.
Ben Littman, Sainsbury's Regional Development Executive, commented: "We have received a great deal of support from the local community and I would like to thank everyone who provided feedback about our proposal. This information has been invaluable in helping us develop a planning application.
"A number of suggestions were made on how we could improve the proposal and, where possible, we have incorporated these into the final plans. We are looking forward to continuing our discussions with the local community and interested parties as our application makes its way through the planning process."
If the planning application is approved, the store would create a mix of up to 150 full and part-time job opportunities for local people and improve food shopping choice and competition for the area. The company maintain there are no plans to close the store in Midsomer Norton.