Timeline

February 2004

The planning application for Shire & Alva courts were approved. Part of the planning consent (section B, point 2) said that the shop couldn’t be used as a shop (A1 retail use) for seven years. Instead, the developer had to rent it out as affordable office workspace (B1) at 50% of market rate. You can see the documents here:

September 2006

The development opens. There’s a temporary mobile phone mast which is inside hoardings outside the shop blocking access to it. It’s there for quite a while making the premises unlettable.

November 2009

The council remove the requirement for the premises to be let out as an affordable office, and allow it to be turned into a shop. Apparently this followed “an unsuccessful marketing exercise (for a 6 month period)”. Did anyone receive any advertising about it? Can you let us know via the contact us form or in the comments below if you did? The letter from the council is here:

Removing requirement for affordable use

We can find no reference to it in minutes of planning committee meetings.

April 2010

Family Mosiac (Freeholders), Lower Clapton LLP (Leaseholders)  and Tesco Express enter negotiations over the unit. Lower Clapton LLP apply for planning permission for occupants of the unit  to deliver on bank holidays and park their lorries out the front of the store as they’re to big to fit under the arch in the building.

See a fuller timeline here