Next has urged a planning committee to “listen to residents” and approve its application for a new Stevenage store.

After announcing its plans for a new shop at Roaring Meg Retail Park earlier this year, nearly 100 residents have written to the Stevenage Borough Council in support of the plans.

The high street retailer is planning to take over the former TruGym and Partyman units at the retail park off London Road when the lease on its existing store in The Forum ends in May next year.

The chain says the move will safeguard the 41 jobs at the current Stevenage location, with all staff transferring to the new shop. 

Next store colleague and Stevenage resident, Lisa Cullinane, said: “We are all looking forward to moving to the new larger store at Roaring Meg where we can continue working with our colleagues and serving our loyal customers.

"Not knowing what the future holds makes life difficult, particularly over Christmas, so we all want the council to decide very soon.”

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A spokesperson for Next says the council's "uncertainty" and "delays" mean that it is now very unlikely that the planning application will be considered before Christmas, making it "difficult" for the company to reassure its store colleagues’ about their future. 

"An urgent decision by the council is therefore imperative," a spokesperson added.

Staff could be made redundant after the current store’s lease runs out in May 2025.

Gary Robinson, Estate Manager at Next, said: “Stevenage residents have given overwhelming support to the move to Roaring Meg and we hope that Members of Stevenage Planning Committee will listen to what their constituents are telling them. 

"The alternative is for Next, a Stevenage retailer since 1989, to leave the town altogether, with the loss of 41 existing jobs and 35 extra jobs that would have been created at the new store. 

"This uncertainty and delay is affecting our store colleagues who want to know if they will have a job after our current lease runs out next May.”

To view the plans in full, and have your say, visit stevenage.gov.uk and search for reference 24/00690/FP in the planning portal.