Plans go in for new Aldi in north Shropshire town

Budget supermarket Aldi has submitted an application for a new store in a north Shropshire town.

The firm revealed plans for an Ellesmere supermarket back in 2023, but the store has not materialised.

However, Aldi has now come back with a proposal that would create 40 new jobs. The site is the same as was proposed three years ago, on land off the A495 Scotland Street, opposite Ellesmere Business Park.

Submitting a design and access statement on behalf of Aldi, The Harris Partnership said a pre-application meeting was held with Shropshire Council officers in January which illustrated the proposed scheme, including space for 130 cars.

The document said the landowner would construct the access from the main road into the development site, including the new arm off the roundabout on Scotland Street.

Aldi is proposing to have a a ‘Grampian condition’ put in place, which will require the delivery of the same access arrangements as those of the link road.

"The foodstore site has been designed to create an open site when viewed from A495 and the new link road to allow ease of access and natural policing to the car park area," said a spokesperson for The Harris Partnership.

"High levels of transparency and visibility will be the approach for the new development with suitable directional signage provided to the site informing visitors of the location of disabled and parent and child spaces. External areas will be suitably illuminated.

"A small path runs around the back of the foodstore to permit fire escape access from the staff and warehouse areas to a place of safety.

"The service route will be clearly marked out for the driver with a dedicated service dock designed with adequate space for the manouevre to be carried out with room for error designed into the layout.

"Aldi operates a unique delivery system from a dedicated transport fleet. The company operates closely managed servicing arrangement for eachstore with limited deliveries per day.

"Stores are constructed with a dedicated internal storage area, delivery ramp, sheltered canopy and dock leveller system. This enables drivers to unload products without any external activity such as forklift trucks, cages or scissor lifts. This system reduces potential noise and therefore does not give rise to harmful effects on residential amenity."

The spokesperson added that the proposed landscape scheme has been developed with the intent of retaining as much of the existing character of the site as possible.

"The existing drainage ditch running from north to south across the site will be diverted to have a west-to-south route to allow sufficient space for site development," said the spokesperson.

"Proposed native species and other landscaping will be added to the site to enhance the existing landscape and provide low maintenance to the area."

The plans can be viewed by searching for application reference 26/02114/FUL via Shropshire Council's planning portal.

The consultation period will last until July 3.