Former Dairy Crest Site, Alexandra Road, Epsom, KT17 4BJ

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• Whether suitable provision would be made for access to the store by a variety of modes of transport
• Whether the access and adjoining junction would be safe and suitable for all users
• Whether the residual cumulative impact of the proposal on the operation of the highway network would be severe

What decided it

The Inspector's conclusion that, subject to a comprehensive package of conditions addressing sustainable access, highway/pedestrian safety and residual traffic impact, the proposal complied with the relevant highway and access policies, combined with a finding that public benefits (particularly substantial weight for reuse of previously developed land) outweighed the less than substantial heritage harm identified.

The public benefits of the scheme, including meeting an identified need for convenience floorspace (moderate weight), economic benefits (modest weight), sustainable location benefits (moderate weight) and substantial weight for the use of previously developed land, were found collectively to outweigh the less than substantial harm to the setting of the Pikes Hill Conservation Area.