Aldi gets nod for £12m St Helens investment

A store on Laffak Road has been given the go-ahead by the council’s planning committee, forming part of a wider mixed-use development anchored by the rapidly growing supermarket chain.

Aldi’s initial £12m investment will see the supermarket built and Laffak Road realigned.

Designed by The Harris Partnership, the 20,600 sq ft Aldi food store would provide 14,600 sq ft of shopping space, with the remainder taken up for office and storage use.

Avison Young advised Aldi on planning matters.

Later stages of the project could include a new care home, two food and drink units, and a small parade of commercial units, under outline elements of the plan.

Located south of the East Lancs Road, the site has been crying out for redevelopment for several years and is currently home to a disused petrol station, derelict buildings and a pallet recycling facility.

Bryn Richards, in Aldi’s national real estate division, was full of praise for the how St Helens Council conducted itself throughout the planning process.

“We’re extremely grateful to St Helens Council for the constructive way they have handled this application,” he said.

“Their proactive and professional approach has helped ensure we can move forward with a scheme that will regenerate a long-vacant site and deliver real lasting benefits for residents in north St Helens.”