A NEW Tesco store in Penketh will be allowed to open for longer in the evenings despite parish councillors’ objections.

The Warrington Road store has only recently been opened after being granted planning permission and Clr Linda Dirir (Lab – Penketh and Cuerdley) said the conditions imposed on it should not be ‘chipped away one after the other’.

She was speaking to her fellow councillors at the development control committee meeting earlier this month.

“Conditions are supposed to help the residents and their fears about residential amenity and then gradually over a few months one after the other is just chipped away,” she said.

She was speaking against the application to open the store until 11pm. It formerly opened until 10pm.

A secondary application to ask for permission to take newspaper deliveries from 6am was withdrawn by the store.

Tesco spokesman Rachel Edwards said that the supermarket giant had only taken on the building once planning permission was granted.

Other stores on the street, such as the takeaways, were open until 11pm, she said.

Extending the opening hours by one hour was unlikely to be particularly intensive, Warrington Borough Council’s planning officers said, particularly as houses at the rear of the store and opposite it are far enough away not to be affected.

Two residents had objected citing noise, increased crime, lighting, delivery vehicles blocking the entrance and unfair intrusion.

But officers said their homes were far enough away not to be affected by light or noise.

Vehicles blocking access was not a reason to withhold permission and there was no evidence that longer hours would increase crime.

Councillors approved the plans with five voting in favour, two against and two abstaining.

They also approved an application to allow Tesco to keep refrigerators on 24 hours a day.