Community stops unsustainable ALDI retail scheme

We acted for Canons Park Community group in Stanmore who had a long-running campaign to prevent the inappropriate development of a full-sized Aldi supermarket on a brownfield site. Following written objections and a committee hearing Harrow Council decided to refuse the scheme.  

Our clients objected to the scheme proposal which had not been design-led and where the site was being “maximised” (not “opitimised”) and presented a risk to an adjoining local wildlife site. There was a failure to carry out surveys for protected species and it was not obvious why on-site biodiversity net gain could not be achieved were it not for the “oversupply” of parking and that itself was a planning harm as it encouraged car dependency in a designated Air Quality Management Area. 

We referred to the emerging Local Plan—at an advanced stage— that had specifically discounted retail use as part of its site-specific appraisal. Aldi’s attempt to obtain consent for a windfall development was unsupported by evidence. They had failed to show that anything in the Council’s own detailed site selection methodology would justify departing from plan led policy. 

We argued that the application was premature. The brownfield land in question was allocated for housing, and even though it only covered a small area it could be refused on grounds of prematurity in these circumstances.  

We also argued the site is out of centre and was not sustainable development as it threatened the vitality of nearby designated town centers. An alternative suitable site in the centre for retail was available and we argued the scheme failed the sequential test. 

The Council refused permission.