A planning application made by Aldi to build a new supermarket in Biddulph has been recommended for approval by town councillors, subject to a range of concerns.

The German supermarket giant submitted an application to Staffordshire Moorlands District Council last month to build a new store on the site of the former Meadows Special School off Tunstall Road.

At a Planning Committee meeting on Zoom yesterday evening (Tuesday), Biddulph Town Councillors agreed that they wanted to see Aldi come to the town, but also had a range of concerns relating to matters such as access, the aesthetics of the building, and potential disruption to the neighbouring James Bateman Middle School.

Speaking on behalf of the school at the meeting, James Bateman staff member Cheryl Picken raised a number of concerns regarding an apparent lack of communication from Aldi.

She said: "Our land is next to the proposed site, and we have major concerns because it seems like Aldi have very little regard about how this will be done.

"We have had no communication with Aldi about their plans, and we have safeguarding concerns about people accessing the playing fields from the Aldi car park.

"In March 2018 they approached us to ask if they could do some investigative work on the playing fields, and to this day they still haven't put them right to the point that we can use them with children. Since February 2019, we have had no communications with them whatsoever."

Councillors then discussed their views and concerns regarding the application, with the overall feeling being that the council felt Aldi would be positive for Biddulph, but it was important to ensure that the plans were implemented properly.

Biddulph's mayor, Cllr John Jones, said: "The school shouldn't be needing to access land through Aldi, so that needs addressing. There are lots of bits here that seem like they haven't been tied up properly - I think Aldi could be fantastic for Biddulph, but we need to make sure we get it right."

Cllr Wayne Rogers said: "A lot of people in Biddulph want this Aldi, but I think a lot of things need sorting out first. I've also got concerns about the access - I don't think children should ever have to walk through a car park or land belonging to somebody else."

While Cllr Jill Salt added: "I support the idea of Aldi in the town, but I really disagree with the access arrangements and their lack of involvement with the school."

Cllr Nigel Yates also pointed out that the final decision on the application was due to be delegated to the district council's planning officers. He felt that an application of this size should be debated at a full district-level planning meeting.

He said: "I agree this is a necessary development as it provides competition. I am concerned that this is down as a delegated decision at the district council - this is a major development, and I think it should go to the full planning committee at Staffordshire Moorlands for a proper debate."

Cllr Charlie Smith also raised concerns about the aesthetics of the building and whether it would fit in with the surrounding area, adding: "I think the aesthetics of the building should reflect the rural environment behind it, and I'm not sure if the red brick style reflects that."

Following further discussion, councillors chose to recommend the application for approval, subject to the concerns they had raised, and also agreed to request a meeting with Aldi and the district council's planning officers to further discuss these concerns.

A spokesperson for the town council said following the meeting: "Biddulph Town Councillors discussed the application for the proposed Aldi store, at the Planning Committee meeting last night.

"We are in favour of the store coming to Biddulph, but have some suggestions about how the store could fit better within the surroundings and work differently to support those who will use it.

"Biddulph Town Council will be submitting our proposals to Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, who will make the final decision in this application."

Staffordshire Moorlands District Council will have the final decision on the application, although a date for this decision has not yet been given.

To view the application in full, visit the district council's website here.

To watch the town council's planning meeting in full, visit their Facebook page here.