Hattersley Aldi and Costa recommended for green light

Maple Grove Developments and Onward Homes have teamed up to revitalise a 5.6-acre site off Stockport Road – one that has been vacant for 14 years.

In addition to a 19,800 sq ft Aldi and an 1,800 sq ft Costa, the Hattersley project includes a terrace of eight trade counter units. Altogether the units would boast 32,000 sq ft of employment space that would be accessed through a controlled barrier.

Tameside councillors will deliver a verdict on the project at a speakers panel meeting on 17 April. They have been recommended to grant planning permission by the council’s planning officers.

The officers wrote that the scheme would help support the regeneration of Hattersley, by bringing a vacant site back into use and providing an estimated 125 job opportunities upon completion.

It would also present an alternative place for Hattersley residents to do their grocery shopping locally. At present, the only other grocery store in the area is a Tesco Extra located within a five-minute walk from the proposed Aldi.

Andrew Dewhurst, development director at Maple Grove, said: “This application brings a site which has lain dormant for many years brought back into use to provide new facilities for the local area…

“We are hopeful of a positive outcome at committee and, working with the council and Onward Homes, our aim is to start on site late summer.”

The trade counter units would have their own parking area. Credit: via Inform Comms

Under Maple Grove and Onward’s plans, the Aldi would be accessed off Stockport Road. Customers would find 120 parking spaces, of which six would be accessible and eight reserved for parents with children. There would also be four electric vehicle charging spaces and two for click-and-collect shoppers.

Space would be provided for eight customer bikes to park, with Aldi staff having access to a separate internal cycle storage area.

The grocery store would also have solar panels on its roof and is anticipated to achieve a minimum BREEAM score of Very Good.

The Costa would be a drive-thru café, with 20 parking spaces of which two would be accessible. It is also estimated to achieve a BREEAM rating of Very Good.

Like the Aldi, the employment terrace would have solar panels on its roof. The complex is shooting for a BREEAM Excellent rating.

The warehouse section of the site would have its own parking – with 39 spaces for vehicles to park, including 10 reserved for vans and eight that are designated accessible. There would also be covered bicycle spaces.

Maple Grove and Onward also want to build an electric vehicle charging hub on the site, with ultra rapid EV charging points for 16 vehicles.

The plans also include the planting of 51 trees, replacing 60 that would need to be removed.

The design team for the scheme includes architect The Harris Partnership, structural and civil engineers ICIS Design, mechanics and services consultant Crooks Walker Consulting, and planner Avison Young.

Also on the project team: Noise Solutions, Tyler Grange, Hilson Moran, Element Sustainability, Vector Design Concepts, Eddisons, E3P, and Abacus.

You can learn more about the project by searching application reference number 23/01063/FUL on Tameside Council’s planning portal.