People react to plans for new Lidl in Middlesbrough

All but one of the people in the area who spoke to the Local Democracy Reporting Service were against the proposals for Lidl to take over the former art college campus on Green Lane.

Locals complained about the potential increase in traffic, said that the area didn’t need a supermarket and some were still angry after trees were felled shortly after the sale was agreed.

Read more: Northern School of Art's new building in Middlesbrough now complete

Tracey Webb, 54, who lives opposite the site, said: “We are not a fan, not at all.

“It was obvious it was going to get knocked down and something else was going to get built but it’s not the right area for Lidl.

“There’s a green five minutes walk away, that’s sitting vacant, it could go there.

“We are not happy at all and obviously it might have an effect on house prices.”

When asked whether she would shop at the Lidl, she added: “I would say I would like to boycott it but I don’t know, you say you would but then it gets six months down the line and you need something.”

A resident who wished to remain anonymous said that the store should not be built in a residential area and didn’t think the roads could cope with an increase in traffic.

However, when asked if he would use it, he said: “We probably would, ironically!”

A resident in her eighties said that she was planning to boycott the store but added that she didn’t know whether that would still be the case when it opens.

‘I have always lived in the south and we have always gone to Tesco’

Some residents aren’t opposed to a supermarket at the site but are not keen on a Lidl in the area.

Mrs Ahmed, 32, said that she was a Tesco shopper and she wouldn’t be going to the German supermarket chain.

She added: “I definitely don’t want it there. I don’t really shop at Lidl, I have always lived in the south and we have always gone to Tesco so I am just going to stick to that.

“I won’t be using it, I have a car, I can get where I need to. I don’t like Lidl, it’s just no branded stuff.”

Asked if she would feel differently if it was a Sainsbury’s or Waitrose, she said: “Yeah I would.”

Harriet Ward, 19, who works as a healthcare assistant is also a Tesco shopper.

She said: “I would like a bigger Tesco or Asda. Or somewhere to go for petrol at least, but I don’t really think it should be there because it’s tight getting round there anyway.

“I don’t want to see a Lidl, I don’t like Aldi either, I’d rather see a Tesco.”

‘A supermarket with a hell of a lot more traffic? No.’

A lot of the residents didn’t believe there was a need for another supermarket in the area and were annoyed that the store had felled trees when it bought the art college.

Doug Bowes, 67, said: “I don’t think we need a supermarket and they decided to chop down the trees before anything was decided.”

When asked about if it was a different supermarket rather than Lidl, he said: “Perhaps if it was a Waitrose, we don’t have a Waitrose up here. But no, we just don’t need another one.

“More nice houses would be fine, it’s very much a residential street and most of the houses are very nice so it would be nice to do something similar. A supermarket with a hell of a lot more traffic? No.”

Jeffrey James, 63, who works as a quality control inspector said that there were several stores nearby including a Tesco, Sainsbury’s and a Spar.

He was concerned about the increase in traffic and also said there would be fallout from the store including “kids hanging round” or “trolleys getting pushed out the way or taken down the streets”.

Lidl has notified the council of its plans to demolish the former art college and signs up on fencing around the site state that this is expected to happen in March 2022.

‘I was quite sad to see it go’

When Lidl cut down the trees initially, Middlesbrough MP Andy McDonald, Mayor Andy Preston and Linthorpe councillor Philippa Storey all spoke out against the supermarket.

Mr Turley remembers seeing the much-loved weeping willow, which was cut down, when he was cycling to school as a youngster.

He said: “I am 75 and I used to live in Thornaby and I used to cycle to school at St Mary’s in Middlesbrough and I used to come along this road and I remember the weeping willow then so I was quite sad to see it go.”

“It just happened overnight, there was no warning. The main concern as far as I am concerned was losing the trees but they seemed to have stopped that now.

“I just don’t think it’s in keeping with the area having a store there.”

After the trees were cut down, a spokesperson for Lidl said: “We would like to take the opportunity to provide reassurance that no trees with a preservation order have been felled since we acquired the site.

“Whilst some work has been carried out with support from an independent arboriculturist, we will be proposing a comprehensive planting scheme to mitigate the initial loss of any existing vegetation.”

Another person, who didn’t want to give their name, said that she also thought it was not the right spot for a Lidl.

She added: “It’s just the wrong location for a supermarket. I have lived locally for my whole life and I know how busy that junction is and it’s not needed. It’s not something that the community needs round there.”

Ideally, the resident would like the area to be a park or open space, however, she said that “anything would be better than a supermarket”.

She said that she didn’t have anything against Lidl and wouldn’t prefer to see another supermarket chain there instead.

‘I was thrilled to bits when it was Lidl’

However, not everyone was against the new store opening – Barry Northan, 82, can’t wait to wander around the aisles and believes people will change their mind once it opens.

He said: “I am waiting for them to open! I think it will enhance the area.

“When they built Acklam Hall there was a lot of dissent and people were against it and I was talking to people who were against it afterwards and a lot of those people bought the houses.”

He went on to add: “I was thrilled to bits when it was Lidl.”

In response to the comments from residents, a spokesperson for Lidl said: “We are currently preparing plans for a new Lidl store on the site of the former Northern School of Art on Green Lane.

“We intend to fully consult the local community on our proposals in the near future, ahead of submitting a planning application.”

Read more: Tees mayor Ben Houchen warns Tories could lose next election

Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

You can also follow our dedicated Teesside Facebook page for all the latest in the area by clicking here.

For all the top news updates from right across the region straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.

Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on newsdesk@nne.co.uk or contact 01325 505054