Aldi plans to expand Wolverhampton store backed but homes to go
Plans to extend one of Wolverhampton's flagship Aldi superstores have been given the go ahead – following a controversial battle with locals.
Two neighbouring homes will have to be demolished to make way for the expanded store after the city council granted the plans back in January.
Residents in Blakenhall were up in arms about the move, but several have now come out in support of the extension to the Goldthorn Hill premises.
The exact start and completion dates of the work or if shopping hours would be affected were not yet known, the company confirmed.
The move to extend the store, which first opened in 1994, means the demolition of two houses and the loss of half a rear garden at another, all of which have been acquired by Aldi.
The food retailer finally won its bid to expand at the beginning of the year after a similar development plan was rejected by the council following public protest and concerns over traffic congestion problems.
In a letter to the council, resident James Hammilton said: “It is great to hear that plans have gone through again for the extension.
“It is well needed as the store is awfully cramped on busy days, but the team there are deserving of a bigger store as they work so hard. To me it would be a gift to them for their hard work.
“I can’t see it causing any road issues, as the majority of people that shop at this Aldi store seem to walk. The car park isn’t ever full.”
A further letter from Jay Singh, who also lives near the store, added: “This would be a great opportunity to enhance the safety of vehicles in the lanes, as I have witnessed many accidents and collisions on this road and traffic will be eased.
“Aldi need to make the entrance and exit better. I support these plans. I also understand the requirements for housing which may be lost, but housing within the Wolverhampton area is actually expanding.”
A statement from Turley Planning said: “The site is located within the designated Parkfield Local Centre. As the largest retail unit within the centre Aldi is the anchor store and provides significant spin-off benefits for the centre as a whole.”
An Aldi spokesman said: “We’re pleased to have received planning permission to expand our Goldthorn Hill store and are grateful for the significant local support.
“The extended store will be in our new layout, which ensures more space for fresh, chilled and food-to-go ranges as well as simpler layouts. We will keep the community updated on developments.”
Development work, which also includes landscaping, will see the existing premises expanded from 940 square metres to 1,260, with the gross external floor area increasing from 1,394 to 1,767 square metres.
