A new Aldi can now be built in Speke after councillors approved the plans today.
The supermarket giant is set to open a store on Speke Hall Road after Liverpool Council’s planning committee gave the green light to the proposals this morning.
A new shop will be built on the site of a former tea factory that has been derelict since 2002.
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Aldi bought the site a couple of years ago and now hope to build a petrol station and a drive thru coffee shop in addition to the main shop itself.
A representative for the chain spoke at this morning’s planning meeting and said the high costs of improving the site had meant that it had stayed empty for almost 20 years.
He said Aldi had “long sought a site to serve the catchment of Speke and an opportunity came to acquire the tea factory site in 2019”.
Plans submitted to the council previously said the site’s location meant it was in a good position for a supermarket.
The report said: “It was occupied by a former tea factory but has been cleared of all development and remediation works have been undertaken in preparation for future development.
“Adjacent to the site lies the Ansa site which is a Ford storage and distribution depot which has its own rail link. Opposite the site on Speke Hall Road is a Ford car dealership. On the opposite sides of Speke Road/Speke Boulevard lies Estuary Business Park and Dobbies Garden Centre.”
Almost 200 people had given their views on the plans, with the vast majority supportive of the proposals to build a new Aldi.
However, there were objections submitted by Morrisons and Asda, which both have shops nearby.
The committee sided approved the proposals for the new shop unanimously, meaning work can now start on the site.
