Cheshire East approves Lidl’s Macclesfield store

Proposals to build a 14,000 sq ft Lidl on Parsonage Street in the centre of Macclesfield have been granted permission after Cheshire East’s Northern planning committee members gave the scheme their unanimous backing.

The project, designed by Space Architects, sits on a 1.4 acre site between Parsonage Street, Park Green, and the A536. The area was previously used for offices and light industrial but has been vacant for around 10 years.

Overall, the scheme will cover 40,000 sq ft, including 14,000 sq ft of retail space, car parking for 88 vehicles, and a new public frontage to Park Green.

A previous application by Lidl for the site was withdrawn following a review by Places Matter, which raised a series of design issues, including “an overcomplicated material palette” and “poor links around the site”.

The architect planned to use perforated copper cladding on the building combined with a concrete façade along the lower levels.

Councillors said there should be a “strict condition” in place to make sure the cladding would be compatible with fire safety regulations.

Planning officers said the proposals would “respond well to the Park Green conservation area” and local heritage assets, but committee members said this had “no justification whatsoever” and the assertion was “highly subjective”.

Despite this, councillors gave their backing to the scheme owing to the nature of the vacant plot, which was described as an “eyesore” in the town, and approved the project unanimously.

The professional team includes SCP as transport planner and Wardell Armstrong as environmental consultant.

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