LAKES Parade and the community of Hawcoat are standing on the brink of a damaging change and the next week could determine its future Barrow MP Michelle Scrogham told a packed public meeting on Thursday evening.
More than 90 people attended the assembly in Dane Ghyll Primary School in opposition to a planning application from West Midlands-based LCP Property Investments who want to see a Tesco Express built on the Lakes Parade site.
Attendees including owners of the existing businesses at Lakes Parade, many of them serving the community for decades, were told only a few months ago that they must vacate their premises. Their mandatory move-out date of December 19th is fast approaching.
The current planning application would see all units but the Post Office at Lakes Parade demolished and replaced with a Tesco Express. The consultation period is now open until next Friday 5th December.
Locals, the traders, and Barrow and Furness MP Michelle Scrogham are urging the public to focus all efforts on contributing to the consultation in an effort to stop the planning application from being approved.
Mrs Scrogham told the meeting: “I have contacted Tesco and the owners of the site to ask them to reconsider these plans. I regret that the landowner has not responded to requests to engage with the local community.”
“Now that the planning application has been made, that has to be the focus for the campaign.
“My objections as MP only have as much weight as any individual in a planning decision. There is a process that all applications must go through.
“I can’t intervene with a council planning decisions, but I will raise my concerns and objections through the consultation as powerfully as I can. We now have until the closing of the consultation on Friday 5th December to make sure that as many residents as possible do the same thing.”
The MP now wants to spread the word on what everyone can do to stand against this planning application.
Local residents can object on the grounds of:
- Traffic and child safety near the school: Potential increased traffic and deliveries at the front of the store will create hazards for pedestrians and customers.
- Parking capacity: 10 parking spaces, but four are for the Post Office, two are charging hubs, and one is disabled parking, which only leaves three valid spaces for both staff and customers of Tesco.
- Noise and late-night activity: With opening times stated as 06:00-22:00, and up to five deliveries a day.
- Community impact and loss of local shops and diversity: Independent businesses will be lost.
- Plus sustainability, design and visual impact, biodiversity.
You can do this in a few ways:
- Put a ‘comment’ on the online planning portal. You can find this under application reference B16/2025/0557 here: https://webapps.barrowbc.gov.uk/webapps/f?p=BARROWPLANNINGHUB:APPLICATIONSEARCH:15862451078807.
- Email your objections to the council at planning1@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk
- Send a letter to Town Hall, Duke Street, Barrow in Furness LA14 9SR
Businesses are worried that the council will only visit the site when every business is gone, creating the false impression of a quiet, deserted area, which will help to get the planning application through.
The launderette shuts on Friday, November 28, its owner facing financial losses after the forced eviction eliminated any chance of selling the business as intended.
“We will lose a vital part of the community”, one resident said. “People go to the hairdressers because they know them, they like the social side of it.”
Mrs Scrogham added. “You could feel the anger in the room,”
“If enough people comment, email, and write letters before next Friday, the planning committee will be forced to confront the strength of public opposition.
The future of Lakes Parade is not yet sealed. Stand up for your community by commenting through the portal, emailing, or writing before Friday, December 5.
Physical and digital petitions opposing the redevelopment have reached a combined total of 3,200 signatures. People still have time to sign the petition here https://www.change.org/p/help-save-our-local-lakes-parade-shops-from-eviction. However, residents should note that the petition only counts as one objection, whereas each email/letter/comment are counted as separate objections.
Another meeting has been organised by the local business owners currently located at Lakes Parade for Saturday, November 29, at 10am at Dane Ghyll School,
ENDS
