The supermarket giant has resolved to build the homes on land “where the ground is not heavily contaminated” after evidence of asbestos, cyanide and heavy metals were discovered
Lidl wants to build a supermarket and 60 flats on the site of a former gasworks in Bromley despite concerns that the ground is contaminated. Previous investigations have found evidence of asbestos, cyanide, heavy metals and other toxic chemicals at the site.
The German discount supermarket chain wants to build a new store as well as two blocks of flats on an empty patch of land next to the Tesco Superstore on Homesdale Road. The development site used to be home to an empty gas holder but it was cleared and has remained vacant since a major fire broke out in October 2018.
Builders’ merchant Travis Perkins used to own the site before selling it to Lidl three years ago. Travis Perkins brought forward a proposal to build six houses and a builders yard in 2019 but this was refused in 2021 by Bromley Council.
Councillors refused planning permission at a meeting of the Development Control Committee because of the low amount of housing. They were also told that the gasworks site was contaminated and that houses could possibly never be built there.
At the time, one councillor said they were “not convinced the site was developable at all” due to advice given by the council’s own Health and Safety officers.
In 2019, ground investigators Soiltechnics were commissioned by Travis Perkins to review previous reports and assessments of the contaminated gasworks land.
Soiltechnics concluded: “Substantial contamination is present on site including asbestos, TPHs, BTEX, PAHs, VOCs, ammonium, cyanide and heavy metals.”
Lidl has acknowledged the contaminated nature of the land, and has resolved to build the 60 flats on land “where the ground is not heavily contaminated”.
The two four-storey blocks would be built to the west of the site, with a new vehicular entrance to the homes being established from Liddon Road. They would contain a mixture of one and two-bedroom flats. There are 62 parking spaces provided for the 60 homes.
Lidl wants to build its new supermarket just across from Tesco that it predicts will create up to 40 jobs. A new 93-space car park would also be constructed, with part of it on top of one of the gaswork’s areas of high contamination.
The full planning application can be viewed on Bromley Council’s planning portal at reference 26/02764/FPA.
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