Aldi unveils plans for new Dudley store which will create dozens of jobs

Supermarket giant Aldi looks set to open a new store in Dudley which will help create dozens of new jobs.

Planners at Dudley Council are currently considering the proposal to demolish Egginton’s Chemist on Abbey Road in Lower Gornal and an empty unit on Zoar Street to make way for the development.

As well as a new store, a separate pharmacy will be constructed to replace the one being demolished.

The development will also be partly built on an existing park as well as scrub land which used to home a pub demolished a number of years ago.

The store will also be built on part of an existing park near the site.

The existing Egginton’s Chemist will be demolished to make way for the store

If approved, Aldi said the store will create 40 new jobs in the area, as well as around 100 during the construction phase, and operate Monday to Saturday from 8am to 10pm and 10am to 4pm on Sundays.

Since entering the UK market in 1990, the discount retailer has opened more than 850 stores in Britain. It also has stores in Europe, America and Australia.

In the application, Aldi said: “The constraints of this site demand a carefully detailed scheme which respects its location within a local centre, but also recognises the influence of a parkland setting affecting part of the site.

“The scheme provides significant improvements to the street scene, maximizing the potential for the new local centre retail anchor store to function as an integral part of it.

Aldi says it looks forward to becoming a 'valued part of the local community'

“The scheme also recognizes the sensitive relationship with the public park to the north, through carefully conceived landscaping and boundary treatments; the reinstatement of the pedestrian access route into the park from Abbey Street to the west and the provision of a new, direct and safe access link to the park through the site.

“The proposed development will strengthen the retail mix within Lower Gornal, increase food store provision and help meet the retail needs of the resident local catchment area by enhancing consumer choice, in accordance with sustainability objectives.

“We believe the proposals represent a considered and sensitive response to the constraints of the site.

“The Aldi, ‘deep discount’ retail store provides an amenity to the local area, which is currently lacking, along with the creation of local jobs.

“Aldi looks forward to becoming a considerate neighbour and a valued part of the local community.”