Aldi in new store plan
Budget chain Aldi is hoping to build a supermarket on the site of Stourbridge's B&Q store, the Express & Star can reveal.
The retail giant has applied to Dudley Council for permission to knock down part of the DIY store and build a 1,591 sq m supermarket on the New Road site.
But B&Q staff today said they were still trading as normal and knew nothing of any plans for the site.
A planning application details Aldi's hopes to transform part of the premises with one of its largest food stores and a 64-space car park.
The scheme includes plans for one-and-a-half hour maximum parking with licence plates registered on entry to the site.
Proposed opening hours are 8am to 10pm from Monday to Saturday, and 10am to 5pm on Sundays.
The application states: "The project will include partial demolition of the existing store, altering the facades and reworking the car park to suit the needs of a food retail store."
A B&Q worker, who did not wish to be named, said there had already been a lot of speculation concerning the site.
"We haven't been told anything yet.
"Head office have told us that we're staying here," she said.
A report submitted on behalf of Aldi states the new store will provide complementary services to existing shops in the area.
There are no butchers, fishmongers, greengrocers, or news stands so the store offers no competition to specialist shops, it adds.
Aldi, which has a branch in Wollaston, is hoping to open another in Peartree Lane, Netherton, creating 20 full and part-time jobs.
But it has been forced to go back to the drawing board after having initial plans for that store were refused.
No one from Aldi or B&Q was available for comment today.
