Lidl defeats Stockport over plans for contentious Cheadle supermarket
The Planning Inspectorate has overturned the council’s decision to reject plans for a supermarket at the former Cheadle Heath Works on Stockport Road.
Stockport Council’s planning committee rejected Lidl’s application for a 21,000 sq ft store in line with officer recommendations last year.
Councillors saw fault in the application, submitted by Rapleys for Lidl, citing concerns over traffic, pedestrian safety, and the “necessity” of another supermarket in that location.
However, PINS has sided with the developer and the application has been approved.
The formal decision notice handed down following the rejection stated just one reason for refusal relating to the impact of the scheme’s layout.
The scheme’s design positions the 102-car park at the front of the site facing the road and lacks active frontages, which Stockport said would conflict with the prevailing residential grain and “fail to establish a strong sense of place”.
On this point, the inspector concluded the layout “would not appear visually jarring or undermine local distinctiveness”.
Matters relating to highways, pedestrian safety, air quality, noise, and need were considered at the appeal but discounted.
Lidl’s application for costs was turned down.
Lidl first lodged its planning application for the store in February 2023. Designs for the store by HTC Architects suggest an internal sales area of 13,500 sq ft.
To view the application, use the reference number DC/087761 in Stockport Council’s planning portal. To view the appeal, use the reference APP/C4235/W/25/3368530 on the Planning Inspectorate portal.
