Lidl plan larger Heaton Norris store

German supermarket chain, Lidl, is planning a new 23,600 sq ft food store off Wellington Road North and Sparthfield Road in Heaton Norris.

New plans propose a slightly larger store than the supermarket had originally been granted planning permission for in 2022. Lidl propose a 2,207 sq m store on the former car showroom site, which will have a net sales area of 1,460 sq m, along with 98 car parking spaces (including 6 EV charging spaces).

Despite planning approval being previously granted for a Lidl store on the site, rival supermarket giant, Tesco, had applied for a Judicial Review claim. Their claim has since been dismissed by the High Court, allowing the Lidl store to go ahead. An appeal of this decision has not been granted.

The Heaton Norris store will further expand the German supermarket chain’s footprint in the town, complementing a nearby store on Hempshaw Lane, as well as at a Cheadle Heath site first proposed in early 2023.

Should the new store be approved, it is expected to create around 40 jobs, all at above the National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage.

Plans for the new store follow a call for sites from the supermarket, which saw Lidl offer finder’s fees to members of the public who connected the brand with locations for new stores. The move was part of a £1.3 billion investment by Lidl to expand its estate to 1,100 stores by the end of 2025, with a number of locations in Stockport and surrounding communities highlighted for consideration by the supermarket for expansion.