Lidl tastes defeat at Castle Irwell appeal
The supermarket giant’s hopes of delivering a store as part of Salboy’s 500-home Salford development have been dashed by the planning inspectorate.
In a decision notice handed down late last week, the planning inspector presiding over the case said the development would “significantly undermine the efforts of the city council and stakeholders with regards to the regeneration of the area”.
Lidl applied to build a 23,500 sq ft supermarket on the corner of Littleton Road and Cromwell Road last April.
However, Salford City Council refused the scheme in July, claiming the proposals “fail to contribute positively towards local identity and distinctiveness”.
In addition, the city council’s planning officers said the scheme would “weaken the positive and high-quality urban design attributes of the emerging [Castle Irwell] neighbourhood”.
One of the main concerns over Lidl’s plans for a store at Castle Irwell was the fact that it is set back from the road. This issue was explored during the planning appeal.
The site layout “would be contrary to the prevailing pattern of development in the area”, the inspector said, while agreeing with the city council that the development “would not engage with the surrounding area…and would otherwise be defined by its incongruity and lack of identity in the local area”.
The inspector also highlighted “uninspiring” landscaping proposals and a lack of walking and cycling provision to connect the site the wider Castle Irwell scheme as reasons to dismiss the appeal.
While Lidl recently opened a new store less than a mile away at Mocha Parade, the inspector found that, though that project and the appeal scheme were similar, “the existence of a development nearby does not convince me the appeal proposal is acceptable”.
Lidl was contacted for comment.
Really glad to hear of this decision – hopefully a more positive and ambitious scheme is brought forward for the site soon. Salford deserves better than another car-centric, off-the-shelf supermarket design!
By Matt Townsend
Mad that a lidl gets more scrutiny than some huge developments …. probally end up being the best lidl in the North-west
By Born in Bred
As an Aldi fan all my life (got a season ticket) I am happy to see this.
By Levelling Up Manager
The planning inspectorate sont seem to be interested in approving anything which would benefit the area. They have already turned down the River Irwell plans for electricity production and now they’re denying local people somewhere close to home where they can shop at competitive prices. Not everyone has a car and there are a lot of elderly people in the area.
Build houses, but no facilities. That seems to be their motto.
By Resident
This area of salford has had over a thousand new homes built over the last two years. It needs a cheap as chips supermarket.
By Darren Born and Bred.
No mater Lidl or other brand, low price supermarket and a few stores are crucial in this area as there are more than a thousand new homes and there are many olderly residents in this area. Agreed with some message, build more homes without the necessary facility is no good.
By Resident
A solution to this site would be a Lidl store but with apartments above this.
By SW
So what about now? Leaving an empty land or to build new houses (just adding them to the hundreds new)? I lived in the new estate Castle Irwell and yes, I strongly want a supermarket round the corner rather than walk 40 minutes in total (go and return) from mocha parade or salford shopping centre. Easy to speak for who have a car or enough money to pay a taxi every time!!!
By The Mueri
This seems like a decision based on design and landscaping, not principle. A more bespoke approach to these material considerations should see these issues easily overcome. Whether Lidl have the appetite for a resubmission is a separate matter though…
By Anonymous
Whether you build supermarkets, apartments or offices people will drive to them, if you don’t want people driving do not build a thing
By Phi
The area urgently needs a decent and reasonably priced supermarket for all the new houses which have recently been built (and still more next to Blandford Road). LIDL or Aldi would be fine. It is unacceptable to build housing estates which have no local facilities for residents. The Council needs to be a lot more proactive towards development of shops and infrastructure instead of just turning down proposals, it should tell LIDL what it expects to see and they should get on with it quickly instead of sitting on their hands arguing about trivia.
By Blandford Road Resident