Aldi store planning persmission deadline nears (From Daily Echo)

Supermarket asks for more time to begin building Winchester store

5:10pm Thursday 9th February 2012 in News

Aldi store planning persmission deadline nears

Time is running out for cut-price supermarket chain Aldi to build a new store in a Hampshire city.

More than 500 people objected to the plans for a store in Winchester.

Planning permission for the store in Burnett Close, Weeke, expires on, February 26.

Now is has emerged that the retailer has asked Winchester City Council for more time.

There has been no building work since Aldi won planning permission in early 2009. It came after a four-year battle to redevelop the site of the former Chimneys pub.

The scheme was blocked by a Government planning inspector while the council refused it four times.

After a public inquiry, the retailer finally gained permission at the sixth attempt. Yet the store never materialised, leading to speculation in 2010 that Aldi wanted to ride out the economic slump.

A spokesman for Aldi’s agents, Weber Shandwick, said: “Aldi’s property team isn’t in a position to comment at this moment and it’s more likely to be in a matter of weeks rather than days that we might have something to say. At this time there is no update.”

Yet it has emerged that the council received a request from Aldi to renew its permission.

Under planning laws, the authority cannot reject it unless new issues have surfaced since the 2009 ruling.

At the time, residents fighting the plans had concerns about traffic and parking problems.

The impact on nearby shops was also raised, and the scheme drew more than 500 objections.

The campaign against the store was co-ordinated by Brian Wareham who said a digger was seen clearing the site a fortnight ago, but there had been no other activity.

He added that a house in Burnett Close that Aldi bought as part of the scheme was currently available to let.

“With all the money it cost with two appeals and four planning applications and all those barristers, you would’ve thought that Aldi would be going ahead with it,” said Mr Wareham.

Aldi’s application to renew the permission is expected to come before council planners within a few weeks.