Plans have been submitted to Stockport Council to convert the former Dog and Partridge pub into a Sainsbury's Local store. 

Originally, planning approval was granted to demolish the site and convert it to a Co-op store. However, since then, Co-op has withdrawn from the scheme. 

Sainsbury's has since acquired the site, and has submitted an application to amend Co-op's already-approved plans for a new convenience store. These new plans would slightly change the layout and planned delivery times. 

The application states: "Whilst the Sainsbury's scheme is very similar to the approved development, there are some minor material changes needed to the car park and building to accommodate their requirements.

"We are not proposing any significant changes to the design of the proposed building. The shape of the proposed store needs to change slightly, but the frontage elevation design features have been retained for consistency with the approved scheme."

One noteworthy modification to the prior application is revised delivery / opening times. Sainsbury's requests that deliveries are taken from 6am and that the store opens from 7am. 

A proposed street elevation for the new Sainsbury's local store. The existing site is pictured underneath. (Image via planning document)

The demolition of the Dog and Partridge pub has been a controversial issue. 

Some argue that this will be a 'much needed asset' for High Lane, whilst others argued against the destruction of what they argued was a historic building. 

One argument against the original plans ran: "The proposal has no architectural merit. It contributes nothing to the locality and meets few sustainability targets being responsible for demolition and loss of historic embodied energy in the previous building."

Some residents also argued that the proposed opening hours for the new store were unreasonable, on the grounds that early staff and lorry arrivals would be disruptive. 

There were also concerns around increased congestion caused by vehicles entering and exiting the proposed car park.

A site plan, with Buxton Road at the top (Image via planning document)

However, countering the opposition, a committee report on the original plans argued: "The benefits of the redevelopment of the site which is currently vacant and in a poor condition are, on balance, considered to outweigh the harm resulting from the loss of the undesignated heritage asset in this particular case."

Certainly, in a Marple Area Committee meeting earlier this year, members recognised that this would be "a much needed asset for High Lane, which needed to be balanced against the loss of the existing building". 

Furthermore, the pub is not a statutory listed building and is not located within a conservation area; its demolition, therefore, does not strictly require extensive planning permission.

The determination deadline for the Sainsbury's plans is 20 November.

The standard consultation expiry date is 24 October, and the neighbour consultation expiry date is 28 October.

~

Free from clickbait, pop-up ads and unwanted surveys, Stockport Nub News is a quality online newspaper for our town.

To get our top stories in your inbox each week, subscribe to our free weekly newsletter HERE.

Please consider following Stockport Nub News on Facebook or Twitter