Aldi primes Ashton-in-Makerfield opportunity
The discount supermarket wants to build a 19,000 sq ft store at the former Arnold Clark site on Wigan Road.
Plans have now been filed with Wigan Council for the former car showroom site on behalf of Aldi, which is working with planner Avison Young and architect The Harris Partnership.
Typically for the expansive grocery group, the store will come in at around 19,000 sq ft in total, with a sales area of 14,321 sq ft – less than half the space taken up by the existing buildings on site, which total 41,544 sq ft.
The two-acre site sits at the junction of the A49 Wigan Road and Nicol Road, around 1km north-west of Ashton-in-Makerfield town centre.
Avison Young’s planning statement said that the scheme will “notably improve the visual appearance of what is presently a tired and dated site”. Aldi said the store would represent a £5m investment, with completion expected within 18 months of consent.
The plans include 119 parking spaces, four of which would have EV charging points.
The plot concerned is irregular, and Aldi proposes to build its store at the rear of the site, backing onto but shielded from the Nicol Mere school, with the parking taking up the front quadrant, currently taken up by the now vacant Arnold Clark front-of-house showroom.
Like rival Lidl, Aldi has remained in acquisition mode throughout 2022, with plans coming forward including a store off Active Way in Burnley, also occupying former car dealership space; a project in Moston, north Manchester; and a shop at the Paragon Business Park in Horwich, Bolton.
The reference number for the Aldi proposal is A/22/93334/MAJOR.
I think its a brilliant idea to have an aldi on the proposed site
By Anonymous
This new store and the location would be amazing. The sooner the better. I hope the planning goes through.
By Rory Molineux
The new Aldi store will be beneficial to the elderly resedenents in ashton in makerfield
By Anonymous
A couple of points is the reason I object. Dangerous to the local infants school with the ammount of traffic. The road infrastructure is not good enough. The HGV delivery vehicles delivering plus the traffic already a danger to people
Can you imagine in the summer when there is racing at the three sister and Haydock Park. Commercial delivery vehicles, and you are going to add even more traffic. Extra air polution causing ill health and that is only a few points
By Les Bailey