Multi-million pound Melton Aldi store is given the go-ahead

Multi-million pound plans for a new Aldi store on the south side of Melton have been approved.
An artist's impression of the proposed new Aldi storeAn artist's impression of the proposed new Aldi store
An artist's impression of the proposed new Aldi store

The building of the store, on the site of the old ambulance station on Leicester Road, is expected to take about nine months with the development creating 40 jobs.

The store will be open from 8am to 10pm, Monday to Saturday, and 10am to 4pm on Sundays.

Melton Council’s planning committee approved the plans last night (Thursday) subject to conditions which include limits on noise from the store’s deliveries and refrigeration plant, to lessen the impact upon nearby residents, and specified hours when delivery lorries are permitted at the store (7am to 9pm, Monday to Sunday) and when demolition and construction work can take place.

Aldi’s regional property director Ciaran Aldridge told councillors that there will be an acoustic enclosure around the refrigeration unit as well as a 2.4 metre acoustic fence and nine metre deep landscaping to further limit the noise impact.

He anticipated there would be two to three deliveries a day to the store, with the first arriving at around 7am.

He added: “The store will create about 40 well-paid jobs and increase shopper choice. We will definitely be recruiting locally for jobs. We pay above the living wage and we don’t do zero-hours contracts. There will be some full-time and part-time jobs and an apprenticeship scheme is also run through Aldi.”

A number of councillors said they’d received many letters of support from residents in their wards for the Aldi plans, particularly those living in the south of the town.

Councillor Pat Cumbers, who said she’d been ‘swamped’ with requests for the plans to be approved, asked for an additional planning condition - for some white lines to be put down near to the site entrance, but on Aldi’s land, so that pedestrians could cross safely. This condition was added.

Councillor Pru Chandler welcomed the Aldi store as ‘a great addition to retail shopping in Melton’ but stressed the importance of not aggravating conditions for people living very close to the site.

It’s expected Aldi will begin the recruitment process for the new store about midway through its construction.

People will be able to apply at www.aldirecruitment.co.uk

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