A DEVELOPER who proposed a controversial superstore for the Lawnside area of town has backed out.

The town was divided over plans for 30,000 square foot superstore for the Lawnside Road area in Ledbury, announced in 2013.

The scheme would have lead to the demolition of the swimming pool, community centre, youth club, the fire station and former ambulance station.

Under the original proposals, a new joint swimming pool, community centre and youth club complex would be built at the Orchard Lane end of the Recreation Ground, together with an outdoor multi-use games area.

Philip King, of PLK Properties, who first proposed a superstore at Lawnside, and then the possibility of reduced retail development at the site, said his plans had "come to nothing", and no further proposals will be forthcoming.

One sticking point would have been the re-location of Ledbury Fire Station, a cost which the developer would have had to meet.

Another sticking point was Halo Leisure's £2.3m redevelopment of the swimming pool and leisure centre at Lawnside, which is set to be completed by the spring.

Mr King he hadn't been left with enough space at Lawnside to consider other retail development, once the idea of a superstore at Lawnside had been shelved when "the food market fell away".

Mr King said this week: "Our proposals for the Lawnside area have come to nothing. The food store market fell away and Halo had to proceed with the refurbishment of the leisure centre in order to comply with their wider contractual commitments to Herefordshire Council.

"This left us with only a small area of land to play with which included the fire station. A lengthy dialogue with the fire service concluded the relocation costs would outweigh the value of the site for a reduced retail unit, even though there was healthy demand for such a unit.

The Lawnside area remains a possible location for future retail development under Herefordshire Council's planning blueprint for the next two decades, the Core Strategy.

Herefordshire councillor for Ledbury, Liz Harvey, raised this matter at the last full town council meeting, when the progress of another planning blueprint for the town, the Neighbourhood Plan, was under discussion.

She was concerned under the emerging Neighbourhood Plan, Lawnside is being designated as a "leisure hub", and not as an area for possible retail development, as is listed in the Core Strategy plan.

Speaking afterwards, Cllr Harvey said: "The Core Strategy – Herefordshire Council’s 20 year development plan for the county, identifies the Lawnside Road area as a potential location for the future extension of high street retail units.

"The latest rounds of consultation undertaken by the Neighbourhood Plan group do not appear to have addressed this requirement – according to the reports provided to last week’s council meeting.

"As the ward councillor for the town centre, I am yet to be consulted in the process."

Lawnside is not just the location for Ledbury's swimming. The town's community hall is also located there.

l. Ledbury is to get another supermarket, however, with Aldi gaining planning permission in September for a new store on the New Mills Industrial Estate, off the Ledbury bypass.