Car park extension for Wednesbury Ikea approved

Walsall Council had previously granted permission for an extra 172-customer car park and a new access route at Ikea's Park Lane store in Wednesbury, near junction 9 of the M6.

Bosses for the store said that while the facility had been built, a planned new access road was not constructed due to security issues.

But this meant the work carried out did not strictly comply with the original planning permission that had been granted and, as a result, the company had to apply for retrospective approval.

Fortunately for Ikea, the council’s planning team has approved the revised plan which will see customers accessing the overflow through the existing car park, which they get to via the Axletree Way entrance.

The work means the store now has 1,191 car park spaces on the site.

Security

In a letter to the council, Ikea’s planning agents Quod said: “The new car park and other physical works have been constructed on the site, however, to address recent security issues, and to ensure a high level of security is maintained for customer parking, Ikea did not implement the approved access arrangements.

“The proposals are therefore not fully in accordance with the recent planning permission.

“As such, this full planning application seeks retrospective permission for the additional car parking spaces and facilitating works, seeking revisions to the approved access arrangements only.

“As demonstrated through the previous planning permission, planning officers have previously found the proposed extension to the store’s car park acceptable.

“This application is largely consistent with the previous consent, and seeks a change to the approved access arrangements only, to revert these back to the previously existing access arrangements.

“This retrospective planning application was discussed with the case officer who welcomed the changes and submission.”