New plan for Aldi store after rejection of first proposal

ALDI has put in a fresh bid to build a new store in Derby after previous plans were rejected as “uninspiring”.

Towards the end of last year, Derby City Council turned down proposals for a store on farmland off Rykneld Road, at Littleover’s Heatherton Village.

The authority’s planning committee rejected the proposals for a number of reasons. It argued that the application failed to show how the new supermarket would unlock surrounding development land and was critical of the fact that the proposed site was “divorced” from an existing shopping area.

It was also critical of the “uninspiring standard format design of the retail store” and that insufficient evidence had been provided in terms of drainage, as well as archaeological and environmental impact.

Now a fresh application has been lodged, jointly submitted by Aldi and Heatherton Developments – a partnership between Ark Capital and William Davis – which they believe addresses the city council’s concerns.

In planning documents written by DLG Architects, it said: “Since the

An impression of the planned new store

refusal, the applicants, Heatherton Developments and Aldi Stores, have entered into discussions with Derby City Council about revised proposals to overcome the reasons for refusal on that application.

“This has resulted in a new application for an Aldi store on the same site but also a second application (which is also being submitted) on adjacent land for new drainage proposals, including an attenuation basin lying to the northeast.

“Aldi’s architects and related professional team entered into discussions with planning officers about changes that could be made to the Aldi proposals.

“This has resulted in the Aldi store moving its position on the site further south to establish (in accordance with planning officers’ views) an improved relationship with the adjacent local centre.

“It has also resulted in a number of significant design changes being made relating to the approach to materials; sustainability measures; car parking and servicing arrangements etc.”

If given the go-ahead the new store would offer almost 1,800 sq m of space and create 40 new jobs.