Plans for a new Aldi supermarket on Marsh Lane in Stanmore will not go ahead after a planning inspector dismissed the company’s appeal. The supermarket had wanted to build a new store on the former National Grid gas works site, including a warehouse, customer parking, cycle spaces, landscaping and a new access from Marsh Lane.
Harrow Council refused the original planning application in September 2025, leading Aldi to appeal the decision.
A public inquiry was held over four days in August, with the final decision issued on September 30.
Anmer Lodge site played major role in decision
One of the key issues was whether Aldi had properly considered other locations closer to Stanmore town centre before choosing the out-of-centre Marsh Lane site.
Particular attention was given to Anmer Lodge, the large site behind The Broadway in Stanmore. Harrow’s recently adopted Local Plan identifies Anmer Lodge for mixed-use development including a food store.
Aldi had approached the site’s owner about acquiring the land, but its offer was rejected. However, the inspector said this was not enough to completely rule out the possibility of a supermarket being developed there.
He concluded that “the sequential test has not been fully explored”.
As a result, the inspector found that the Marsh Lane plans conflicted with Harrow’s Local Plan and national planning policy.
The Anmer Lodge site itself is currently the subject of separate redevelopment proposals. Harrow Online reported earlier this year that plans are being developed for hundreds of homes, co-living accommodation, shops and new public spaces on the land behind Stanmore Broadway.
Inspector accepted several benefits of Aldi plans
Despite dismissing the appeal, the inspector supported several elements of Aldi’s proposals.
The former gas works site has been largely vacant for years, and the inspector considered bringing the brownfield land back into use to be a benefit.
The supermarket was also expected to create around 40 jobs.
Importantly, the inspector agreed that the proposed store would not have a significant adverse impact on existing local shopping centres.
Concerns had also previously been raised about traffic and road safety, but the inspector found that the proposed access onto Marsh Lane would be safe and that the surrounding road network had sufficient capacity.
94 parking spaces also questioned
The amount of parking proposed remained another area of conflict with planning policy.
Aldi proposed 94 spaces, while the London Plan standard discussed during the inquiry would have indicated substantially fewer spaces.
The inspector found that the scheme conflicted with parts of London Plan policy because of the amount of parking and the potential encouragement of car use.
However, the decision also acknowledged that Harrow Council’s own highways team considered the level of parking necessary to meet expected demand and allow the car park to operate safely.
The inspector ultimately said the benefits of the development were significant, including new jobs, reuse of brownfield land, biodiversity improvements, an energy-efficient building and new bus stops.
However, they were not enough to outweigh the conflict with planning policy over the location of the supermarket. The appeal has therefore been dismissed and planning permission for the supermarket remains refused.
Bob Blackman, Conservative MP for Harrow East, welcomed the decision. He said: “Local residents gave up days to attend the inquiry and speak against the scheme. For now it is clear that the right outcome has been reached.”
A spokesperson for Aldi told Harrow Online, “While we are naturally disappointed by the outcome, we respect the Planning Inspector’s decision and thank everyone who engaged with the process.
“We remain committed to working positively with stakeholders as we consider the next steps for the site.”
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