Decision due on Shobnall retail park expansion
Around 150 jobs could be created if plans to extend a retail park onto “overgrown” land in Burton upon Trent are approved next week, developer Maplevale says.
The proposals will go before planners at East Staffordshire Borough Council for a decision on 11 November, with the 8-acre site in Shobnall poised to include a 21,500 sq ft new M&S foodhall, a ten-pin bowling alley, and six smaller retail units.
A community training facility would also be built for disability organisation Equal Support Opportunities under the scheme put forward by Burton-based developer Maplevale, which would also include a sports pitch and a vegetable garden.
The proposals have been recommended for approval by planning officers after six sites within Burton’s town centre boundary, including the former Molson Coors complex on the High Street, were ruled out as alternative locations for the development.
Planning consultants Nexus estimated a trade diversion of 3.3% from Burton town centre, a figure compiled during a retail analysis for the scheme taken on behalf of the local planning authority, which they said was not significant enough to warrant refusal for the application.
“Given the good performance of the town centre’s retailers and its role as a sub-regional retail and leisure destination, it is expected that these retailers will continue to trade well if the application proposal were implemented in full,” added the council’s planning officer in their report.
“The proposal has been assessed, and it is considered that there are no suitable alternative locations within or adjacent to the town centre to accommodate the development.”
Seven responses have been received from members of the public during the consultation period, with one objection and six expressions of support.
“Maplevale has been actively progressing this scheme over the past four years, carefully assembling the necessary land and working closely with key stakeholders to deliver what we believe will be an exciting and transformative development for Burton upon Trent,” said Maplevale’s managing director, Richard Kirkland.
“The project will create over 150 new jobs, regenerate a long-underutilised part of the town, and provide much-needed retail and leisure facilities for both Burton residents and the wider region. The new M&S Foodhall will serve as a flagship store for the area, complementing a range of other retail outlets within the park. Together, these will deliver a significant boost to the local economy and support the creation of the ESO community hub.”
Documents and plans relating to the application can be viewed on East Staffordshire Borough Council’s planning portal using reference: P/2025/00297
