Budget supermarket chain Lidl is planning to open a new store on the site of the former Dobbies Garden Centre in Timperley, which closed at the end of last year.
The German-owned retailer has instructed planning consultants Rapleys LLP to submit a legal application to Trafford Council seeking confirmation that the Green Lane site has the correct planning permissions for retail use.
The move comes as part of Lidl's ambitious expansion plans, which will see 40 new stores open across the UK this year as part of a £500 million investment programme. The company is racing towards its target of 1,000 stores nationwide.
The former Dobbies site on Green Lane closed on December 17th 2024 as part of a major restructuring by the garden centre chain that saw 17 locations shut and 465 staff made redundant.
Dobbies had acquired the site from Wyevale Garden Centres in September 2019, but mounting losses of £130 million forced owner Ares Management to drastically reduce the business.
In legal documents submitted on May 27th, Rapleys argues that the 0.25-hectare building and surrounding car park area already has the correct "Use Class E" planning designation, which covers commercial, business and service uses including retail operations.
The site layout shows the former garden centre sold various products including houseplants, books, stationery, pet products and tools, as well as hosting concessions like The Edinburgh Woolen Mill and Regatta.
The application also references the site's Energy Performance Certificate, which confirms its use as "A1/A2 Retail and Financial/Professional Services" - categories that were merged into the new Use Class E designation in 2020.
Lidl already operates a store at Altrincham Retail Park in Broadheath, which opened in January 2024 and created around 40 jobs. The company has identified Altrincham as one of hundreds of potential locations for new stores as it seeks to capitalise on recent government planning reforms.
Richard Taylor, chief real estate officer at Lidl GB, said the investment programme was "a clear sign of our ambition" as the company enters its fourth decade in Britain.
Industry data from Kantar shows Lidl is the UK's fastest-growing supermarket chain, with sales rising 9.1% over the 12 weeks to March 24th. The company now holds a 7.8% share of the UK grocery market and is closing in on fifth-placed Morrisons.
If approved, the new Timperley store would add to Lidl's network of more than 980 stores across England, Scotland and Wales, supported by 14 distribution centres.
Trafford Council will now consider the Lawful Development Certificate application, which seeks to confirm the site's existing retail planning status rather than requesting new permissions.
