Another supermarket could be built in Marple. Investigations are due to begin into alternative uses for the Chadwick Street Car Park in the town centre – including a supermarket or other retail use.
The site, which is owned by the council, is currently home to a Royal Mail delivery office, as well as the car park.
There are already plans to build an Asda supermarket on the Hibbert Lane campus of Cheadle and Marple Sixth Form College.
A report that came before councillors at last night's meeting on the Marple area committee identified a number of other possible uses, including offices, hotels and houses. But Ian Keats, from development company NPS, who presented the report, said retail is the preferred option.
He said: “We would put the site out to market for expressions of interest, and refer back to the area committee early next year with the responses received.”
Residents at the meeting expressed concerns about the size of a possible supermarket on the site, and the idea of building on a car park that money was spent on improving only two years ago.
Councillors stressed that the process is at a very early stage, so it is too early to speculate on the size of any possible development. Councillor Craig Wright said the plan to put a supermarket at Cheadle & Marple Sixth Form College had opened a 'Pandora's Box' in Marple.
“If we're going to have a supermarket it would be better if we could do it somewhere where we can have control over what is happening,” he said.
