Lidl urged to sell troublesome Greater Manchester site to developer

The supermarket's bid to open a store at the site was rejected earlier this year

Stockport council has been urged to take action after 'multiple complaints and incidents' at a site owned by Lidl. Coun David Meller claimed the derelict Cheadle Heath Works on Stockport Road - where the supermarket had hoped to open a new store - is not being properly maintained by the company.

On April 10 a fire broke out at the building, where emergency services attended with crews in the area for more than four hours.

The supermarket said it has taken steps to secure the site since it bought it, and that it was re-secured after a break-in earlier this month.

Lidl applied to Stockport council to open a new food store at the site in early 2023, but its application was knocked back by councillors this January.

Town hall officers recommended the scheme was rejected, saying that it failed to 'respect the positive character of the local area', as well as raising concerns over the 'scale, form and elevational treatment of the store building'.

Nearly 60 residents also wrote to the council objecting to the scheme, raising fears over traffic levels around the area near Roscoes roundabout and a slip road from the M60.

But Lidl said at the time that more than 400 people had signed a petition in support of its plans for a new store.

Coun Meller, who represents the Cheadle East and Cheadle Hulme North ward, urged the local authority to take action to make sure Lidl is protecting the site.

"Lidl have a legal responsibility to maintain this site," he said. "I hope the council acts after multiple complaints and incidents, including this most recent fire that took resources away from others who may have needed them at the time.

"It's in no one's interest to have this derelict site in the area, as the recent planning decision demonstrated. There isn't the support for another supermarket in the area, either.

"The best thing they could do is sell it to a developer who can then use it to help address the serious housing shortage we have in Stockport."

Greater Manchester Police said at the time of the blaze that enquiries were made to to determine the cause of the fire, but it told the Local Democracy Reporting Service today that there is insufficient evidence that a crime has taken place to progress this further.

A Lidl spokesperson said: "We're grateful to Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service for their swift response to the fire on April 10, and we’re relieved no one was harmed.

"We're reviewing our next steps and remain focused on bringing our affordable, high-quality offering to Stockport Road - something backed by over 500 local residents.

"We truly appreciate all the support we've received so far and look forward to keeping the community updated."