Thursday is D-day for both Aldi and Lidl applications
LOUGHBOROUGH could be getting both Aldi and Lidl stores - and the decision will be made by councillors in one meeting.
Plans for the Lidl store proposed on land to the north of Station Avenue in Loughborough, and rival retailer Aldi on Allendale Road, Loughborough will be discussed at the Charnwood Borough Council planning committee meeting on Thursday, December 7.
The first application for the Lidl store was submitted to the council in September last year after rumours for a number of months that the German supermarket giants would be opening a new store in Loughborough.
Residents first received flyers asking them to go to a public exhibition on the proposals for the store back in July last year - nearly 18 months ago.
The proposed new build will be a two storey, 2,460 sq ft building, with 132 car parking spaces, six disabled spaces, and cycle parking. It will also create 40 new jobs. A bakery, a large warehouse and customer toilets are part of the ground floor plan while a staff room, cloakroom, office and terrace are part of the mezzanine floor plan, included in the application.
The application states that the new store will be built on the site of Charnwood Forest Railway, the site of Hire Station - a former petrol filling station - and an adjoining section of the Travis Perkins car park.
If given the green light there will also be off-site improvements made to the Station Street/A6 junction and a commuted sum towards improvement of the A6/Belton Road signal controlled junction - according to the planning application.
Planning officers have recommended that the application for the store is granted with certain conditions, despite objections from residents, Loughborugh BID and borough councillors. Now onto Aldi. Aldi first submitted an application for a second store in the town in March this year, and revealed that the site - which lies between the A6004 and Allendale Road - would also include a drive-through Costa coffee shop and three additional retail units.
The company told the Echo that the development would represent a significant multimillion-pound investment into the local economy and create around 100 jobs.
In March a spokesperson from Aldi told the Echo that the new store will “provide residents with unfettered access to highquality produce at discounted prices.” They said that it would save shoppers money and help reduce travel times for those who travel out of the area to complete their weekly food shop.
Officers have also recommended that the application for the Aldi store is to be granted conditionally, despite similar objections to the Lidl store.
The planning committee meeting is set to take place on Thursday, December 7 in the Preston Room, Woodgate Chambers, Loughborough at 5pm.