Go-ahead for Home Bargains regeneration scheme

Home Bargains has been given the go-ahead to open a flagship store and garden centre as part of the comprehensive regeneration of an 11-acre brownfield site in south Liverpool, despite opposition from fellow retailers B&M and Asda.A hybrid application by TJ Morris, which owns the discount retailer, to redevelop the vacant former Rayware plot fronting Speke Boulevard in Speke has been approved by Liverpool City Council’s planning committee.TJ Morris has been granted permission to demolish the existing buildings on its site, full planning permission to create 6.2 acres of retail and leisure uses, and outline consent for the creation of 4.9 acres of B-class employment uses.The catalyst for the phased regeneration of the site would be a new 25,973 sq ft flagship Home Bargains store and associated external garden centre (pictured). The full planning component also involves the creation of a separate 27,556 sq ft retail building that could be split into three units of different sizes, and a 1,851 sq ft restaurant.Meanwhile, the outline component involves up to 96,875 sq ft of B-class employment uses. This could include offices, general industrial facilities, or storage and distribution space.