REPRESENTATIVES from Aldi were at Bromsgrove Sporting’s Victoria Club this evening (Thursday) to reveal the plans for its new town centre foodstore.
The public exhibition took place between 3pm and 7pm with residents invited to go along, view the proposals and have their say on them.
After this evening’s exercise, those behind the project will take a couple of months analysing the feedback and, based on that, an official application will be submitted to Bromsgrove District Council later in the year.
Provided planning approval is given, work would begin at the start of next year and the store could be open by early 2017.
The supermarket and its car park would fill the one-and-a-half acre Birmingham Road / Stourbridge Road site, which currently houses the former DDS&S Club, the old MG Rover car showroom and Imagination Street. The multi-million pound investment would bring up to 40 full and part-time jobs to the town and additional employment would be created through the building of the store and for supply chain businesses.
Ron Skidmore, the chairman of the Bromsgrove Society’s Environmental Committee, was one of the many people who attended this evening’s exhibition.
He said the Bromsgrove Society backed the scheme.
“We need something to the north end of the High Street like this and then we also need something on the south end to increase footfall.”
He said he went to the exhibition as he wanted to make sure the elevation along the Stourbridge Road was not too bland.
“Where it is situated, it is important the building gives a bit of visual stimulation.
“It’s a busy road, a lot of cars pass down there so it has to be an interesting design.
“The society supports it because we need this site developing.”
The foodstore would be the second Aldi in the town and the company also plans to keep the other one – in Sherwood Road – open.
Did you go to the exhibition? What did you think? E-mail us your views to [email protected]