ALDI SUBMITS PLANS FOR NEW £7MILLION WIRRAL WATERS STORE WITH OVERWHELMING LOCAL SUPPORT

Award-winning discount retailer Aldi has submitted a planning application to Wirral Council for a new food store at Wirral Waters, located off Birkenhead Road, in Seacombe.

The proposal site is a brownfield plot of land that has had several uses over the years, including as a timber yard and pallet centre and is currently used as a lorry park. Aldi’s proposals would see the site developed into a modern community food store, representing an investment of £7m into the local economy.

With residents currently having to travel further afield to access a discount retailer, a new store at this location would significantly enhance the local retail offer, cutting travel times for shoppers currently travelling to Aldi’s store in Birkenhead and further afield.

The new Aldi food store would include a customer car park offering 84 spaces, and cycle hoops at the store encouraging active, sustainable travel. The proposals would create up to 40 new full time equivalent jobs paid at an industry-leading rate, targeted at hiring from the local community.

97% of respondents have expressed support for the plans

Aldi’s plans are the latest step in the transformation of Wirral Waters – Peel Waters’ ambitious regeneration programme that is turning the Left Bank of the River Mersey into one of the UK’s most exciting waterfront destinations.

With more than a thousand residents already living at Wirral Waters and thousands more homes on the way, alongside hundreds of students studying at the on-site Wirral Met College and a growing population of workers; Aldi’s proposals will bring a vital new amenity to this thriving neighbourhood. The new store would provide convenient, high-quality, affordable shopping for students, workers and local people in Seacombe – ensuring the area has the everyday infrastructure it needs as it continues to grow at pace.

Ahead of submitting an application to Wirral Council, Aldi launched a community consultation on the proposals and heard from over 500 local residents, who provided their views on the scheme.

97% of respondents expressed support for the plans, welcoming them as an effective use of a site that has become a local eyesore, and were encouraged by the investment into the area the proposals represent. Residents also backed the creation of new, well-paid jobs for the local community.

Aldi’s commitment to Wirral Waters reflects the confidence that leading operators have in the scale of opportunity here.

A spokesperson for Aldi, said: “We are delighted to have submitted our plans for a new Aldi food store in Wirral Waters. We’d like to thank the local community for their engagement with our consultation and the enthusiasm that has been shown for our plans. This site is ideal for a new food store serving residents in Seacombe and would support the wider regeneration ambitions for Wirral Waters.

“We’re looking forward to our plans being determined by Wirral Council in the coming months and will keep the community updated as our application progresses.”

Richard Mawdsley, Development Director for Wirral Waters at Peel Waters, said: “Aldi’s plans represent another important milestone in the ongoing transformation of Wirral Waters, and Peel Waters are very pleased to be working with them to bring forward this investment. Delivering a successful, sustainable neighbourhood is about more than new homes – it’s about creating places where people can live, work, study and access the services they need day-to-day.

“Partnership is central to that vision, and Aldi’s commitment to Wirral Waters reflects the confidence that leading operators have in the scale of opportunity here. As the community continues to grow with residents, students and businesses already established and many more to come, it’s vital that essential amenities are delivered alongside that growth.

“Regenerating brownfield land and attracting the right mix of uses is key to creating a thriving waterfront destination. This proposal is a strong example of how Peel Waters are working with partners to bring forward meaningful, long-term change for Wirral Waters and the wider area.”

Wirral Council will determine the application, with a decision expected to be made in the coming months. The planning application can be viewed on the Council’s website, using the application reference APP/26/00844.

Anyone who would like to find out more details about Aldi’s proposals can contact a member of the project team on the Freephone information line, 0800 066 8941, visit the project website https://aldiconsultation.co.uk/seacombe or email North@consultation-online.co.uk.