Plans to build a Sainsbury’s convenience store on the car park of Farmer John’s pub in Streetly have been rejected by a government planning inspector. The supermarket chain had proposed a single-storey store occupying approximately half of the pub’s car park on Aldridge Road.
Sainsbury’s appealed after Walsall Council did not issue a decision within the required statutory period. The council later confirmed that, had a decision been made, it would have refused the proposal.
Key considerations in the appeal included the potential impact on the nearby Great Barr Conservation Area, the suitability of the development within the green belt, compliance with the sequential test, and whether any “very special circumstances” existed to outweigh negative effects.
Planning inspector N Bromley acknowledged several benefits of the proposal, such as the creation of 20 new jobs, an energy-efficient building design, and biodiversity improvements. It was also noted that the public benefits outweighed any harm to local heritage, and that the sequential test criteria were satisfied.
Despite these positives, the inspector concluded that the development constituted inappropriate green belt development and that no “very special circumstances” justified its approval.
This marks the second attempt by Sainsbury’s to establish a convenience store at Farmer John’s. The initial application, submitted in July 2023, was refused by Walsall Council due to concerns over green belt policies, the impact on the Great Barr Conservation Area, and harm to the open character of the area. An appeal against that refusal was also dismissed by the planning inspector.