Decision delayed on controversial plans for new Tameside Aldi -paving the way for it to be given the green light

Councillors have delayed a decision on controversial plans for a new Aldi paving the way for it to be approved against the advice of planning officers who wanted to refuse it.

The discount supermarket chain had applied to Tameside council to build its fifth foodstore in the borough at Snipe Retail Park in Ashton-under-Lyne.

This would have seen the existing Pizza Hut and former Carphone Warehouse stores demolished to make way for the supermarket, which would have covered nearly 2,000 sqm.

But 120 residents, as well as Transport for Greater Manchester had objected and the plans were recommended for refusal by council officers.

Both the highways authority and TfGM said that revised transport proposals put forward by Aldi would not be enough to resolve the impact on the traffic network, pushing the junctions to operate beyond capacity.

“The resultant congestion upon the surrounding network would be unacceptable and the application has failed to demonstrate that they can be appropriately mitigated,” the report states.

However at a meeting of the planning committee on Wednesday, Tameside panel members said they did not agree with the reasons put forward to reject it.

Instead a majority of councillors agreed to defer the decision to give Aldi more time to work with the council to agree a better traffic plan through conditions.

It means that the application could be approved when it is presented next in front of the committee.

Officers had deemed the building design of the proposed Aldi as ‘uninspiring and dominant structure’ in their report.

Principal planning officer Steven Kirkham said this would mean the loading area and plant machinery faced onto Manchester Road which was ‘visually harmful’ to the prominent location.

He