Plan to expand store will lose green land

Controversial plans to expand a supermarket on green space used by the community have been resubmitted despite a similar scheme being thrown out last year.

Aldi wants to expand its store in Bridgnorth Road, Wollaston, by building on land at the rear of the site to create an additional 139 square metres of floor space. A planning application has now been lodged with Dudley Council and the issue will come before members of the development control committee in the next few months for a decision.

A similar scheme was rejected by the committee last June on the grounds it would result in the loss of valuable green space in the village.

The land also acts as a natural buffer between nearby homes and the supermarket which councillors say is an important feature.

But the new plans aim to address this problem and Aldi has offered to carry out extensive landscaping at the site.

This would include planting trees to retain the buffer between homes and the development.

Aldi officials said it would also tidy up the remaining green space to benefit the area.

Last time, the plan was met with fury from residents who claimed the store had already had a negative impact on the area.

People living in King Street claimed they had already lost two hours of direct sunlight every day due to the size of the store and this would only get worse if the expansion went ahead.

A petition, signed by over 40 people, was submitted against the scheme.

A report to the council states: "Through the use of extensive landscaping this will increase the visual impact of the open space in question.

"The work will have a beneficial rather than detrimental impact on the area."