Plans for Aldi which divided Oldham residents rejected after councillors said they wanted 'high quality jobs'

Plans for a new Aldi store on an Oldham business park which divided residents have been refused after councillors said they wanted to hold out for ‘high quality’ jobs on the site.

The supermarket had applied to the council to build a new hub at land at Broadway Green Business Park in Chadderton.

The store would have been 1,315 sqm in size, with an additional warehouse, staff and office facilities, and was proposed to be built off the new Lydia Becker Way road.

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Currently the site is surrounded by undeveloped land which is proposed for industrial units, and a new residential development.

There was also a proposed ‘flexible use’ commercial unit which would have been for the sale of food on the site, either as a coffee shop, bakery or ‘restaurant type’ facility.

According to the report to the planning committee on Wednesday there had been 127 letters of support and 57 letters of objection over the proposals.

Supporters said that it would mean residents would not have to travel as far to shop and would allow people to access low cost food without having to drive.

However people opposed to the Aldi said it was not needed and was too close to properties neighbouring the development.

The rival superstores Lidl and Tesco had also objected to the plans.

But planning officers had recommended that the plans be approved.

However committee member Coun Barbara Brownridge told the meeting that employment land in Oldham was being ‘constantly whittled away’.

She was concerned that the plans did not comply with a council policy, which stipulated that the site was part of a Business Employment Area with certain agreed uses, for