Waitrose Oakham Rutland Planning Application for Lands End Way Store
Waitrose has officially applied for planning permission to build a new store on Lands End Way in Oakham, marking a potential major retail shift for the county town.
Details of the proposal can be viewed directly on the
The proposed site on Lands End Way has previously seen development interest, with Rutland County Council having granted planning permission for a Greggs drive-thru café building there back in 2023.
For long-standing residents, this latest move stirs up memories of a turbulent supermarket saga that has spanned well over a decade.
This is not the first time Waitrose has tried to establish a presence in Oakham. The high-end supermarket first entered formal discussions and proposed building a store in early 2011, holding a public consultation in February 2011.
The original plan targeted the former Tresham College site on Barleythorpe Road. However, the developer for Waitrose, the Lindum Group, officially confirmed they had pulled out of negotiations on July 25, 2011, amid a politically charged local atmosphere often dubbed the Oakham "supermarket race."
The local press published a story suggesting Waitrose was to pay a "gift" to Rutland County Council an unfortunate choice of words that actually referred to a standard Section 106 legal agreement.
While the headlines caused a stir, the developer stated that the final decision to pull out was a direct result of being outmanoeuvred by a competitor rather than a reaction to the public outcry.
Sainsbury’s purchased the former Tresham College site and cleared the grounds in February 2014 chopping down trees exactly four years before Lidl ultimately opened on the same plot.
Sainsbury’s originally obtained planning permission for a large core-brand store in March 2013.
However, faced with financial constraints and a strategic shift to combat rising discount supermarkets, they pivoted.
In June 2014, Sainsbury’s announced a 50:50 joint venture with Dansk Supermarked Group to revive the Netto brand in the UK, shelving the standard Oakham store plans in the process.
The Netto venture collapsed entirely on July 4, 2016, as Sainsbury’s decided to close trial stores and refocus capital on its core business and its £1.4bn takeover of Home Retail Group (Argos).
The site was sold to Lidl almost immediately. Lidl held a public exhibition at Victoria Hall on June 29, 2016, submitted a formal planning application in September 2016, and successfully opened its doors on February 22, 2018.
Following the collapse of the Barleythorpe Road negotiations in November 2011, the Lindum Group entered direct discussions with Tim Norton to potentially purchase his garage site for Waitrose.
Planning authorities initially considered this site "sequentially preferable" due to its closer proximity to the Oakham town centre.
By 2013, formal plans emerged for a 21,000 sq ft supermarket. However, the proposal faced heavy hurdles.
Located right next to the Long Row level crossing, concerns mounted over severe traffic congestion as delivery lorries and shoppers would be repeatedly halted by the railway gates.
A cumulative impact assessment warned that a supermarket on the Tim Norton site alongside a proposed Aldi and a planned Tesco expansion would have a "significant adverse impact" on Oakham town centre.
With Waitrose now setting its sights on Lands End Way, local sentiment has begun rolling in on the new application.
Mrs Helen Duckering submitted comments on behalf of the parish council, noting: "The addition of an upmarket supermarket, which will create some additional jobs, is welcomed."
Local resident Miss Ann Lewis of Oakham added her support to the consultation, stating: "Perhaps it will help to regenerate our dead town centre. Market Harborough and Stamford, towns buzzing with life, both have Waitrose stores."
Social media comments show mixed response:
"A Huge M&S would be more ideal but suppose Waitrose is a start"
"another pointless shop"
"If only......"
"Waitrose costs a lot like it’s for more posh people . I want a Greggs . So I can get my daily gregg sausage roll instead of travelling to melton for one ." which prompted the following response "Fuck off back where you can afford to live. Cos it ain't Oakham. People like you bringing the area down."
"Oh, darling, what absolutely marvelous news, frankly, it won’t be a moment too soon when those utterly dreary speed awareness courses become a thing of the past. At long last, I won't have to tear down the road to Waitrose in Stamford like a woman possessed, simply because we’ve run perilously low on canapés for one of my little evening gatherings."
"You can stuff Waitrose right up your arse. I’d take a Greggs sausage roll over anything Waitrose has to offer any day of the week."
“A Waitrose in Rutland is precisely what the county requires. One grows terribly weary of making the pilgrimage across county lines merely to secure decent produce and artisanal cheeses. A thoroughly sensible and most welcome application.”
As the planning application progresses through Rutland County Council, local eyes will be watching closely to see if Waitrose can finally secure a permanent home in Oakham.
For more local news, community updates, and what's on in the area, visit: https://www.oakhamandrutlandnews.com/
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