MP Phil Wilson says it’s great to finally see the long-awaited Aldi store take shape. The £1.5m shop, will bring between 14 and 18 new jobs and include more than 50 new car parking spaces, ready for Christmas this year.
It will form a new “gateway” to the town centre as the first part of a three-phase overall redevelopment costing £3m, to be completed in 2015.
Aldi was delayed due to a stand-off between utility companies over the ownership of underground pipes, but building is now well underway.
Mr. Wilson said: “It’s going to be a great asset for the town, with competition for Tesco. It is a new beginning for the town centre, and people have waited so long. I’ve been working on this since I was elected in 2007, with the developers and the council, to bring it to fruition, and it’s starting to do that now, so it’s great news.
“I can understand the scepticism, because there’s been so many false dawns with the town centre, and I’ve been as frustrated as anyone else. The town centre has been a long haul, and there’s still a long way to go, but it’s starting to come together.
The Hitachi factory will start going up in the New Year, and that’s going to bring a lot of skilled jobs and money to the town, which is why developments like this are very important.”
Town Centre manager Bryan Haldane added: “The building itself will be finished by September. Aldi will then shop-fit the unit which should be finished by mid-to-end-November, and hopefully open for trade from December onwards.”
