SUPERMARKET company Lidl, which has plans to build a store in Okehampton, has amended its planning application to include a public amenity area and riverside walk.

The two aspects were part of a brief set by West Devon Borough Council for the School Way area prior to the Waitrose development, said principal planning officer Chris Watson this week.

Mr Watson explained that following discussions with the borough council, Lidl had included on its plan a footpath around the store, a section of which was a timber platform, and a picnic area. These features were not a part of the original application submitted in January.

A traffic impact assessment, which was also requested by the council, is currently being considered by the highways authority.

The German discount supermarket company is proposing to build its store behind Waitrose which would bring Okehampton's number of supermarkets to three.

Mr Watson said he was aware the proposal had been on the table for several months but it was important to get it right.

He was hopeful the application would be able to go to the planning committee meeting on June 6.

'We are mindful that we need to provide public facilities on this important site next to the river and this was a requirement of the council's planning brief,' he said.

'This is a big application and we need to make sure it is fully considered before it goes to the committee.'

The highways authority is looking into providing a bus waiting area which could reduce the amount of car parking spaces proposed by Lidl which currently stands at 101 and the possibility of building a new footbridge leading into the parking area at the Ockment Centre.

Currently, people have access through the Ockment Centre to get to and from the existing footbridge but this was never considered ideal and there are concerns that the number of people could dramatically increase if another supermarket is built.

Mr Watson said the local rivers group had raised the issue of the store being built so close to the river and this was an important aspect that was being looked at.

'The timber decking area is within three metres of the river and one of the crucial issues will be whether the Environment Agency can access the river to maintain it,' he said

'We will know closer to June 6 what line we are taking concerning the acceptability of these proposals.'