Supermarket plan refused (From Messenger Newspapers)
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Trafford's planning development control committee turns down Lidl's foodstore plan for Broadheath, Trafford
7:00am Friday 19th October 2012 in News
SUPERMARKET chain Lidl's controversial plans to open a supermarket in Broadheath have been rejected.
Trafford's planning committee has turned down an application to open a 1,162 sq m store, with 53 car parking spaces, on a site on the corner of Hartington Road and Manchester Road.
The planning committee received 265 letters of objection to the scheme, and there were also objections from Timperley Civic Society and Claremont Residents Association.
They were backed by former ward councillor Brenda Houraghan.
Their concerns included that it would add to traffic, congestion and pedestrian safety problems on busy Manchester Road, and be an overdevelopment of an area that already has Waitrose and Aldi supermarkets.
Ward councillor and planning committee member Ken Weston told the committee meeting this was a 'very bad junction', where there had been several deaths in the past 20 years.
Committee vice chairman Cllr Dan Bunting agreed this was the 'wrong location' for a foodstore.
Lidl had claimed that the development would benefit the area, creating between 15 to 30 jobs, and provide residents with a range and choice of goods.
It said the store would not hit trade in Altrincham and Sale town centres, and there were no alternative sites available.
But planning officers identified the Time for Bed store on Stamford New Road, Altrincham , opposite the interchange. It said this store - formerly used as a Kwik Save supermarket - is available and a preferable site. Lidl disagreed and said it is not suitable.
The council also said Lidl would need to put in place a £500,000 crossing facility, but the company disputed this.
Councillor unanimously turned down the scheme on the grounds that there is a preferable site available, so it had not satisfied the 'sequential test', and a failure to provide a pedestrian crossing at the Manchester Road/Salisbury Road junction.
