Discount retailer eyes up Kettering's B&Q site for megastore - but DIY shop tenants object to plan

Home Bargains has lodged a bid to convert the DIY store in Meadow Road, and a vacant unit next to it, into a huge 3,000 sq m shop with a cafe.

They say it would be an ideal site for their larger store format which would create a ‘significant’ net increase in jobs and would see more than £3m invested.

But B&Q say their lease runs for another 18 months and that they’ll be objecting to the plan.

A B&Q spokesman said: “We are aware of, and will be objecting to, the planning application that has been submitted for the redevelopment of our Kettering store.

"The lease on the store runs until December 2025 and the store will remain open as usual until at least then and we remain committed to having a store in the Kettering area.”

Plans submitted to North Northamptonshire Council by TJ Morris Ltd, which trades as Home Bargains, say they want to almagamate the B&Q unit with a site next door which has been empty for three years.

They have no plans to close their existing store in the Newlands Shopping Centre and say the new shop would create about 100 jobs, with B&Q staff given the opportunity to apply for work there. The move would also see the car park reconfigured.

A planning statement said: "There is an existing Home Bargains store located less than 1km from the site in Gold Street in Kettering town centre. However, this first generation store provides a truncated retail offer focused on basket shoppers.

"TJ Morris has identified this site at Meadow Road as an ideal opportunity to provide their modern larger store format, which will complement their existing store, and consequently provide an improved retail offer to the residents in Kettering.

"This two-store strategy (i.e. one in centre and one out-of-centre) is reflected elsewhere in Home Bargains’ portfolio. This includes at Northampton where there is an existing store in the town centre off St Peters Way, and a recently opened out-of-centre store at St James’ Retail Park.”

Plans say TJ Morris assessed a number of other units including the former Wilko store in Newland Street – the largest they looked at – but ruled it out because wasn’t big enough and doesn’t have required customer car parking.

The planning statement added: "The proposals result in a number of positive impacts, including increasing the employment opportunities available to the local community, and an investment into the local economy.

"It will also lead to a strengthening of the representation from a national retailer in Kettering, demonstrating continued investor confidence.”