Aldi appeal hears of overtrading
A Shropshire town needs an extra supermarket because three already operating in the town are "overtrading" to the tune of £7.3million each year, a public inquiry has heard.A Shropshire town needs an extra supermarket because three already operating in the town are "overtrading" to the tune of £7.3million each year, a public inquiry has heard. The claim was made by representatives for discount food store Aldi at the inquiry into its bid to open a shop in Whitchurch. Aldi is appealing against the old North Shropshire District Council's decision in March to refuse permission for a store on land at Meadow View, Waymills Road, despite planning officers recommending the scheme for approval at the time. Keith Jones, representing Aldi, told the inquiry in Wem yesterday how Iceland, Tesco and Lidl, were jointly responsible for £7.3million of overtrading in Whitchurch. He said Aldi's planned arrival in Whitchurch in 2012 would help to address the grip the other three stores currently have on spending in the local economy. Read more in the Shropshire Star
The claim was made by representatives for discount food store Aldi at the inquiry into its bid to open a shop in Whitchurch.
Aldi is appealing against the old North Shropshire District Council's decision in March to refuse permission for a store on land at Meadow View, Waymills Road, despite planning officers recommending the scheme for approval at the time.
Keith Jones, representing Aldi, told the inquiry in Wem yesterday how Iceland, Tesco and Lidl, were jointly responsible for £7.3million of overtrading in Whitchurch.
He said Aldi's planned arrival in Whitchurch in 2012 would help to address the grip the other three stores currently have on spending in the local economy.
He said: "Tesco, Iceland and Lidl are slightly overtrading in Whitchurch, while independent shops are undertrading.
"An extra supermarket would draw its customers from the other supermarkets and I don't think the small traders in the town centre will be affected in a significant way."
He added that his figures came from a recent independent survey of local people's spending habits.
He said it examined the ratio between retail floor space at shops in the town and the amounts of money being spent in each.
Giles Cannock, for Aldi, told the inquiry Waymills was the best site for the supermarket and that other locations mooted in Green End and Mill Lane were "not suitable or viable".
He said there had been "no evidence" given by NSDC or Shropshire Council to justify the refusal of the original application.
He argued that the council should be forced to pay the costs of the appeal as it had "floated the idea" of Aldi withdrawing from the inquiry and submitting fresh plans to the new area regulatory committee.
But he said the council left it too late as Aldi had already spent money on preparing its case when the council made the offer.
Jonathan Easton, for Shropshire Council, said: "The council has not acted unreasonably."
Under its bid, Aldi says it would pump £82,000 into council coffers to subsidise extra buses.
A government inspector heard the appeal and will decide in due course.
