Plan for new Sainsbury's lodged years after first bid

Sainsbury's first proposed a new supermarket on Linley Lane, Alsager in 2013

A Cheshire town could finally get a new Sainsbury's a decade after planning permission was first granted.

The retailer secured permission for a new store on the site of the former Twyford Bathrooms off Linley Lane, Alsager, in 2014 but it never materialised.

A revised application for the scheme, which is being recommended for approval by planning officers, will be considered by Cheshire East Council on Wednesday.

Sainsbury's previously said at least 100 jobs were set to be created, and the town's existing Sainsbury's Local would remain open.

Shopping habits

Under the amended plans for the Linley Lane site, there would not be a coffee shop in the store, the number of car parking spaces would be reduced, and the proposed petrol station would be unmanned.

The company said that since the original scheme was proposed in 2013, customer habits had changed with more people shopping online.

It added demand for parking spaces had reduced because, with more people working from home, customers could shop more easily at other times of the day.

Sainsbury’s has also applied to vary a Section 106 agreement linked to the project.

The proposed changes would see a contribution of £100,000 towards a bus service; £100,000 towards footway widening works along Linley Lane; £200,000 towards junction improvement works at Linley Lane / B5077; and £100,000 towards highway improvement works in the local area.

Nine residents have written to the council supporting the amended application and five have written to object.

In the report due to go before Wednesday’s meeting, a planning officer said the application was to make changes to the previously agreed application and it was "not possible to reconsider the principle of this development".

The officer added: “The scheme proposed as part of this application would not cause harm in terms of residential amenity, design, trees, ecology, flood risk/drainage, pollution or highways.”

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.