Aldi has this week defended its plans to build a new supermarket in Highbridge despite town councillors opposing its proposals.
As first reported here by Burnham-On-Sea.com, councillors are concerned that the proposed store in Bennetts Road will severely hit trade in Burnham and Highbridge following concerns raised by the Chamber of Trade and a petition signed by 62 businsses.
However, an Aldi spokesperson told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “We consulted local people before submitting a planning application and the responses highlighted that the vast majority of the local community are delighted to hear an Aldi could soon be opening near them.”
“An Aldi store would represent a multi-million pound investment in Highbridge, providing more shopping choice and making shopping and saving easier for local people, who currently travel to other supermarkets.”
“The Aldi store will assist in retaining expenditure in the local area that is currently being spent outside the district. This will have significant added benefits for the area, including reducing the need to travel further afield.”
“Aldi stores are a modest scale and provide a limited product range, so compared with most supermarkets, who have separate butcher and bakery counters etc., ALDI is not a ‘one stop shop’. Aldi’s offer complements rather than competes with existing local shops and services. In fact, a new Aldi often improves an area, attracting more shoppers for the benefit of all nearby businesses.”
“The proposed Aldi site has been allocated for development for some time, but nothing has been forthcoming to date. The Aldi proposal will facilitate bringing the site into beneficial economic use.”
The proposals are currently out for consultation and will be ultimately be decided by Sedgemoor District Council.
