COUNCILLORS in Grange-over-Sands want a complete re-think over plans for a supermarket.

The expiry date of three years has passed for Booths to be built at the Bateman’s Toyota garage on the corner of Lindale Road and Windermere Road, Grange.

Now Booths has applied to South Lakeland District Council for an extension on the time frame of the planning application because work has not started on the project.

It will be discussed at a meeting of SLDC’s planning committee on Tuesday.

Grange town councillors want SLDC planners to consider the changes faced by the town since the application accepted three years ago.

Councillors say the collapse of the Berner’s Vision initiative and the economic downturn in the town proves there are ‘material changes’ to the original application.

“We are not opposed to the Booths plan per se,” said Grange mayor Coun Tom Harvey. “But there have been material changes in the town since the original application so we would like the application to be made in full again.

“We hope that the new plan will take into account these changed considerations in the town and the economy as a whole.”

The meeting was told that there are 10 fewer businesses in the town compared to three years ago, and there is now an alternative site available to Booths where the Berner’s Vision proposal was earmarked.

Councillors also pointed out that there is the potential for 500 new homes in the town as outlined in SLDC’s land allocations document.

It was felt that if these houses and a supermarket was built the extra traffic would put a strain on roads in the town.

For the plan to work however, Batemans would have to move from its site in Grange to Kendal Road in Lindale.

Last month, Batemans reapplied to the Lake District National Park Authority to move its Toyota garage next door to its Mini and BMW garage in Lindale.

The original application was rejected by the LDNPA two-and-a-half years ago.