Lidl has submitted a planning application to Trafford Council to demolish the former Dobbies Garden Centre on Green Lane in Timperley and replace it with a new supermarket. The garden centre has been vacant since its closure in December 2024.
Details of the Proposed Development
The budget supermarket chain plans to build a store including a sales area, warehouse, freezer room, bakery, staff facilities, and a customer toilet. The development would also feature 114 parking spaces, 12 cycle bays, and a delivery bay, with access off Thorley Lane. According to the application, the new store is expected to create around 40 jobs once open. Lidl’s standard opening hours are 8am to 10pm Monday to Saturday, with shorter hours on Sundays.
Public Consultation Responses
Before submitting the application, Lidl conducted a public consultation, receiving 518 responses. Of these, 328 indicated support for the plan. One respondent said: “Having a Lidl in this location will be excellent. I do regularly shop at the Lidl in Baguley and Altrincham retail park but this new store will be nearer for me. I think having the entrance onto Thorley Lane is the best option, Green Lane is too narrow and congested with the school. With all the new houses being built this will be a great local facility.” Another added: “I would definitely welcome a Lidl supermarket at Green Lane, Timperley. It would be close to my home and I could walk there, saving me having to drive to Tesco and Lidl at Baguley, which would be good for me and the environment. The proposed access onto Thorley Lane would make Green Lane a safer road for the schoolchildren attending Altrincham College. The opening of this store would be a huge benefit for residents in the surrounding roads.”
Concerns Raised by Residents
However, some residents raised concerns, particularly about traffic impact. One person said: “I think with the new housing estate already being built on the same road, it will cause traffic issues, as it is already a very busy road especially during school drop and pickup hours, and rush hour. There is a store in Baguley and Altrincham which are enough to serve the Timperley area.” Another commented: “Absolutely horrified by this proposal. Will generate far, far too much traffic on residential streets, it’s an ugly unsightly development which will alter negatively the character of the area, and we already have at least two or three Lidl within a short driving distance.”
Lidl’s Response to Traffic Concerns
Lidl stated that its modelling showed ‘safe and suitable access’ could be delivered to the site and the new supermarket would not ‘result in any significant adverse impacts to the local highway network’. Planning documents added: “The garden centre has already closed and therefore, the development will bring the site back into beneficial use. Lidl have identified a need for a supermarket in this location, which is why they are bringing the store forward.”
