Bexley Council's Planning Committee has approved plans for a new plant room and electric vehicle (EV) charging facilities at a car park adjacent to Morrisons in Sidcup.
The decision, made at a meeting on Thursday 23 July 2026, saw the approval of the erection of a single-storey plant room and substation enclosure, along with the installation of EV charging zones and jet washes.
The application followed a previous permission for a similar scheme, with the current application seeking an alternative layout. For the car park adjacent to Morrisons, the previous permission in 2024 included EV charging facilities and jet wash facilities. The current proposal features a slightly different layout where the EV charging and jet washing facilities have been repositioned.
Objections were raised by local residents regarding the location's appropriateness for a commercial forecourt, noise and lighting impacts, and concerns about the legality of a previous planning application. Residents specifically objected to noise and lighting impacts, citing that acoustic reports relied on hourly averages, while the sounds themselves are impulsive and high-intensity, exceeding 100 decibels at the point of strike. They also noted that the applicant's own report acknowledged these sounds would be clearly perceptible. Regarding lighting, concerns were raised that illumination intensity data had not yet been provided, leaving members to approve a floodlight structure without knowing its brightness.
Officers confirmed that statutory notification requirements had been met. While an objector stated they were never notified and no public notices were posted, an officer clarified that the application was advertised by letters to adjoining properties and a site notice displayed on 19th November 2025, thus meeting statutory requirements.
The proposed development includes a single-storey plant room and substation enclosure, which house the equipment and facilities required for the electric vehicle charging and jet wash facilities. This includes an LV panel.
For the car park adjacent to Morrisons, the proposal includes 4 new electric vehicle charging points with 8 parking bays. In contrast, a separate proposal for Hall Place car park includes 12 (No.) Tesla V4 super charging stations
. The associated EV charging upstands for Hall Place car park have been confirmed as lawful development under application reference 25/02250/LDCP and do not form part of this application for consideration.
Regarding operational hours, objections noted that jet washers would operate from 7 a.m. until 11 p.m., with charging being available 24 hours a day. However, the decision document states that a condition has been added for a 9 p.m. ending of the use of the facilities.
During the meeting, Councillor Mrs June Slaughter MBE expressed concerns about noise and parking. Councillor Oscar Harrison had previously raised concerns about potential increases in anti-social behaviour, noise, and traffic during later hours for a McDonald's restaurant on Sidcup High Street, though these specific concerns were not directly related to the Morrisons car park application.
Mitigation measures discussed included a noise management plan, which was added as a condition. For lighting, a light spillage plan was submitted, and a condition was added requiring full compliance with the submitted lighting design document.
The committee heard that the proposed development would not harm the character of the area or neighbouring amenity, leading to its approval. The full details of the committee's decisions can be found in the Decisions 23rd-Jul-2026 19.00 Planning Committee.pdf document.
