Aldi has submitted planning applications for a number of new supermarkets across the UK while confirming that 16 more stores are due to open in the coming months. The projects are spread across England and Wales and are at varying stages of the planning process.
The latest proposals form part of Aldi’s wider investment in expanding its UK estate. According to reports, the retailer is investing £370 million in new stores this year after becoming the UK’s fourth-largest supermarket, overtaking Morrisons.
The supermarket chain continues to pursue growth through both approved developments and new planning applications. Some schemes have already secured permission from local authorities, while others remain under consideration. Collectively, they reflect Aldi’s ongoing programme of opening stores in new communities. The most recent proposals include a £7 million store at Wirral Waters in Seacombe, Merseyside, alongside projects in Surrey, Somerset, Wiltshire, Devon, North Yorkshire and Cardiff.
Planning Applications Progress at Different Stages Across the UK
Several of Aldi’s proposed stores have already passed important planning milestones. According to the Daily Express, permission was granted in March for a new supermarket in Thames Ditton, Surrey, on the site of a former car dealership. In Keynsham, Somerset, Bath and North East Somerset Council’s planning committee has also approved plans for a new Aldi.
Other applications are still awaiting decisions. In Melksham, Wiltshire, Aldi has submitted plans for a store at the Farmers Roundabout, just off Bradford Road. The same source notes that concerns have been raised about flooding at the proposed location.
Another Wiltshire proposal would see an Aldi store and a drive-through coffee shop built at The Bike School on London Road in Devizes. In Seacombe, Merseyside, Aldi has lodged a planning application with Wirral Council for a £7 million supermarket at Wirral Waters.
Further south, the retailer has submitted plans for a supermarket at Plymstock in Plymouth, where a new community of 1,684 homes is being developed. Proposals have also been unveiled for Eastfield in North Yorkshire, where the planned development would include a food store with a net sales area of 1,228 square metres and a customer car park.
In Wales, Robert Hitchins Limited, in partnership with Aldi, has brought forward proposals for a new food store on land at Plot A, Wern Fawr Lane in St Mellons, Cardiff.
Expansion Continues Alongside Confirmed New Store Openings
The planning applications come as Aldi prepares to open 16 additional stores over the next few months. These confirmed openings are separate from the locations that are currently progressing through the planning system.
Jonathan Neale, Managing Director of National Real Estate at Aldi UK, said the retailer’s investment would support further expansion while benefiting local communities. “Our £370 million investment in new stores this year will help us bring Aldi’s unbeatable value to even more communities, supporting local economies through our industry-leading pay for colleagues,” he said.
The Daily Express also states that Aldi has become the fourth-largest supermarket in the UK after overtaking Morrisons. The company has continued to expand its presence across the country over recent years, with its latest programme combining stores that have already secured planning approval with proposals that are still subject to local authority decisions.
