Plans lodged for alterations to Waitrose in Witney

John Lewis Partnership has applied to West Oxfordshire District Council for permission for alteration works and to install new plant on the roof at Waitrose in Witney.

The plans say a glazed exit door on the car-park facing side of the building will be replaced with a new glazed screen and exit doors without the alcove.

The new doors will only be used as a means of escape and will also provide a taller access for replacing cabinets on the sales floor, said planning documents.

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They will match the existing shopfront and "will look more in keeping... rather than the current off centred alcove design with partial glazed and solid screen elements".

Striped vinyls on the side will be similar to these (Image: Farrell and Clark Architects/WODC)

Architects Farrell and Clark said the alcove does not work with the line for payment and a third exit "is not required" especially as the internal lobby at the main entrance exit doors is also being removed "to ease customer flow to and from the main entrance".

New striped vinyl signs on the car park side of the store "will be partially translucent and exact details of these will be covered in the advertising consent".

The retail giant has also applied for permission to install new Dry Air Coolers (DACs) to serve the chilled cabinets, relocate existing air-conditioning condensers on the roof and install a new emergency generator.

As part of a pre-application for a previous plant proposal a mock up was constructed on site, but planning officers said it would be too visible.

A new design keeps the plant at a similar height to the existing and an acoustic assessment has been submitted as part of the application to show that the new rooftop plant will also have minimal impact on any local residents.

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The plans also say, the generator will be replaced like for like and will only be for emergency use, so the noise impact will be limited and controlled.

The phased plant installations allow the store to continue to operate while the work is carried out "and should not cause a nuisance either visually or acoustically to any members of the public or surrounding occupants", said planning documents.

The store is within Witney and Cogges Conservation Area and forms part of the Woolgate Centre, which won a planning award when it was completed in 1987.

A heritage statement said the "small elements of work offer minor improvements to the outlook of the building and will benefit customers and passers while in keeping with the buildings character".