Your New Sainsbury's Store
Sainsbury’s is bringing forward proposals for a new supermarket at Manningtree Park as part of the wider masterplan already under construction on land to the west of Clacton Road. Extensive pre-application discussions have been held with Tendring District Council and Essex County Council, during which the location and design of the store have been carefully refined.
The proposed store represents a new generation of smaller Sainsbury’s supermarkets, designed specifically to meet weekly food shopping needs in market towns and growing communities. The store will provide a convenient, accessible local food shopping destination for residents of Manningtree, Lawford and Mistley, including new residents at Manningtree Park and Lawford Green, helping to reduce the need to travel to Colchester or Ipswich for a main grocery shop.
Store Size and Layout
The supermarket will have a gross internal area of approximately 1,563 sqm, with a net sales area of around 930 sqm. The store has been carefully sized to meet local needs while ensuring it complements, rather than competes with, Manningtree town centre and existing independent businesses.
The food offer will focus on high-quality, great-value groceries, with an emphasis on fresh produce and everyday essentials. To maintain a complementary relationship with the town centre, the store will not include a café, pharmacy, deli, meat or fish counters, and will offer only a limited non-food range.
An in-store Click & Collect point will allow customers to order online and collect items from Sainsbury’s, Tu and Habitat alongside their grocery shopping, providing added convenience without expanding the store’s footprint.
Design and Appearance
The store has been designed to sit comfortably within the Manningtree Park layout and respond positively to its residential setting. The building will use local materials drawn from the approved Manningtree Park design palette, including brick and high-quality detailing, to reflect the emerging character of the neighbourhood.
The position, orientation and massing of the building have been shaped through pre-application discussions to create a welcoming frontage onto new pedestrian routes, while minimising visual impacts from Clacton Road and nearby homes. Soft landscaping, tree planting and lawned areas will be integrated throughout the site to soften views, enhance local character and continue the aesthetic of the wider masterplan.
Access, Parking and Movement
New vehicular and pedestrian access to the store is proposed from Clacton Road, shared by customers accessing the car park and service vehicles accessing the service yard. The service yard will be located to the east of the building and designed so that deliveries can take place without vehicles travelling through the customer car park.
The proposals include:
- Customer parking for around 105 spaces, including disabled and parent & child bays located close to the store entrance
- Electric vehicle charging spaces
- Prominent cycle parking at the store entrance to encourage active travel
- Safe and direct pedestrian routes linking the store to surrounding homes and footpaths within Manningtree Park
A full Transport Assessment and Travel Plan will accompany the planning application to assess the impact on the local highway network and identify measures to promote sustainable travel.
Sustainability and Environmental Considerations
Sainsbury’s is committed to delivering a modern, energy-efficient store that minimises environmental impact over its lifetime and contributes to the company’s ambition to become Net Zero in operations by 2035.
The Manningtree Park store will incorporate a range of sustainability measures, including:
- Rooftop solar panels and renewable electricity
- No use of natural gas
- Energy-efficient LED lighting throughout
- Highly thermal, efficient building materials
- All-natural refrigerants and advanced refrigeration technologies
- Water-saving fittings and rainwater management measures
- Design that encourages walking, cycling and electric vehicle use
The scheme will also deliver biodiversity enhancements and will be supported by a Biodiversity Net Gain assessment to ensure the development leaves biodiversity in a better state than before.
EV Charging Bays