THE sale of a public car park in Christchurch to the landlords of a supermarket chain has been approved by BCP Council’s cabinet, despite concerns over the deal.

Council leader, Cllr Drew Mellor, said control of the Bypass facility would give Waitrose “the confidence” to extend its lease and remain in the town.

But the mayor of Christchurch, Cllr Lesley Dedman, said there were still questions that needed to be answered before final approval is sought later this month.

Negotiations to sell the car park were started under the previous Unity Alliance administration, following concerns Waitrose may not extend its lease. The chain told its landlord, a General Motors pension fund, that the lack of control over the facility was a reason for the store’s “poorer” performance.

And, following concerns it could leave Christchurch, the council’s cabinet approved plans to sell the car park for an undisclosed sum when it met yesterday.

Its deputy leader, and the cabinet member for the economy, Cllr Phil Broadhead, said the sale allowed the supermarket chain to introduce a “more streamlined” parking system.

Under the existing arrangement, it refunds customers who are charged to use the public car park outside its store.

“This is about securing Waitrose’s future,” Cllr Broadhead said. “If we’re going to do that we’ve got to make sure we’ve got all of the bases covered.”

He said there was “no danger” of the car park, or any of its spaces, being lost to redevelopment nor of any increase in charges for public use due to clauses within the sale contract.

But Cllr Dedman said these would only be in place for ten years and that the sale of the car park would exacerbate the loss of spaces as part of the nearby police station development.

Cllr Mellor said the sale would resolve a “confidence” issue for Waitrose, encouraging them to stay in the town while remaining a public facility.

And he said the ten-year period of the buy-back clause was one that was still being negotiated. He said he expected there to be “a permanency” to it.

Final sign-off for the deal will be requested of the full council when it meets on March 23.

This meeting was brought forward from April to avoid being too close to May’s elections.

However, this means council’s scrutiny board, which had been due to consider the deal before this, will not meet before that date.

Cllr Mellor said he would discuss ways for the sale to be considered before March 23 with the board’s chairman, councillor Stephen Bartlett.