A planning application has been submitted for a section of the Next store in Hatfield's retail park to be turned into a "national grocer". 

Savills Limited submitted the proposals on behalf of Coal Pension Properties Limited, with a consultation open until June 10. 

The plans seek to extend the permitted retail use to include the sale of food in unit 1A of Olding's Corner Retail Park, in Comet Way. 

The unit is currently occupied by Next. This change of condition will see 64 per cent of the unit's floorspace occupied by a national multiple grocer. 

Read more:

The proposed development is also seeking to utilise unused food and drink space from an entirely different unit.

Applicants state that Unit 2, occupied by B&M, only requires 465sqm of floorspace to display its food and drink ranges and therefore, there is a surplus of that existing provision of 1,115sqm. 

Welwyn Hatfield Times: The application seeks to utilise the unit of an existing tenant (B&M). The application seeks to utilise the unit of an existing tenant (B&M).  (Image: Google Maps)

Plans would see an additional 235sqm of floorspace to be used for the sale of food and drink to meet the requirements of both operators. 

The applicant has undertaken a survey of alternative units and believes there are no premises of sufficient scale in either Welwyn or Hatfield to accommodate the proposed development. 

One resident, who asked to remain anonymous, has rubbished these claims. 

He said: "The covering letter says that the only alternative sites were the ground floor of the closed Debenhams in WGC (currently under offer) and the previously vacant Peacocks store in Hatfield. 

"However, there are vacant units in the Howard Centre, the M&S unit and the Next unit that closed. Therefore, the application fails the sequential test." 

Welwyn Hatfield Times: Many residents are concerned for the future of the Howard Centre after multiple units remain vacant.Many residents are concerned for the future of the Howard Centre after multiple units remain vacant. (Image: Cmglee)

The resident added that the the applicants - Coal Pension Properties - owns the Howard Centre in Welwyn Garden City, while the agent, Savills, is the estate agent for the shopping complex.

Get more stories like this delivered to your inbox every week by signing up to the Welwyn Hatfield Times In Brief newsletter.

Shoppers are now concerned about what may happen to the once thriving shopping centre as businesses are leaving in droves. 

To view the plans in full, visit the planning portal at welhat.gov.uk/planning-applications and search for reference 6/2023/0945/VAR. 

The consultation is set to end on Saturday, June 10.