Tesco has applied for a variation in the planning permission for its town centre development which could see changes to any provision of restaurants and bars.

The supermarket has asked South Gloucestershire Council for a “variation of Condition 26 attached to planning permission PT05/1949/F to allow the provision of seven units”.

The proposed variation goes on to say the store wants an “amendment of the condition to require three of these units to be used for Class A3 or Class A4 use”.

Under the Town and Country Act, A3 and A4 units are “restaurants and cafes” and “drinking establishments”.

Condition 26 in the original application states that two of the five ground floor units will be used as either bars or restaurants.

Looking through the documentation it appears Tesco want to reshuffle the number of ground floor units in the centre and then vary the use of them.

In the newest application it says the units would be used for “proposed retail, food and drink, leisure and financial services”.

We stand to be corrected, but presumably if the variation is allowed to go through Tesco would then no longer be under any obligation to fill those units with restaurants and bars – but could rent them for that purpose should it wish.

If you want to read through both weighty applications then head to South Gloucestershire Council’s planning website. The original application can be found under PT05/1949/F, the new one can be found under PT08/0641/RVC.

Feel free to read through them and add your interpretation to this story via the comments.