B&Q To Oppose Welwyn Garden City Planning Application

Welwyn Hatfield Council has received a planning request to allow the development of 151 flats on the site of a B&Q store in Welwyn Garden City.

The proposal, by Thrive Homes, would see the Swallowfields store demolished and the car park removed with three blocks of flats, up to five storeys high, built in their place.

The largest building would contain 29 one-bed flats, 28 two-bed flats and two three-bed flats.  The second and third would house 20 one-bed flats, 18 two-bed flats and eight three-bed flats, each.  A total of 167 car parking spaces would be created.

A spokesperson for B&Q told the Welwyn Hatfield Times: “We have been made aware of a planning application that has been submitted for the Swallowfields site. B&Q remains committed to a store in the Welwyn Garden City area and intends to object to the planning application.

"The lease on the store runs until October 2024 and the store will remain open as usual until at least then. As soon as we have any further details our colleagues will be the first to know.”

A local tradesman named Ricky Cooper has set up a petition campaigning against the development.  He told the Welwyn Hatfield Times: "I have been in Welwyn all my life and always know B&Q. As a local tradesman I am in there most days. I’m up for change and understand more and more is done online but surely not this trade?

"B&Q offer a pensioners day where they get a discount, most of these pensioners go there for the garden centre being the only local one for them.

"These people understandably do not want to travel miles. Weekends the store is always 10+ deep at the checkout as it it on pensioners day."

Source : Insight DIY Team

Image : Chris Warham / shutterstock.com (242222707)

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