Aldi wins approval for fifth store
BUDGET supermarket Aldi is set to open up a new shop in Fishponds.
The shop will be built on the site of former car showrooms in Fishponds Road – just across the road from Morrisons and Lidl supermarkets.
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The car showroom buildings which formerly occupied the site at the junction of Hockey's Lane have been demolished and the site has been surrounded by hoardings. Aldi is aiming to complete the construction of the new supermarket either by the end of this year or in early 2013.
The Germany-based food company won planning permission for the 900sq m supermarket, car park and landscaping on the one-acre site in between Fishponds Road and Lower Station Road in May 2009.
Under the plans, access to the supermarket would be created from Hockey's Lane and there would be 63 car parking spaces.
Two residents complained, along with consultants working on behalf of rival store Morrisons.
The consultants argued the development would result in the loss of accommodation suitable for small businesses and be detrimental to road safety.
A 379-name petition in support of the supermarket was submitted to the city council by Aldi, which will employ between 12 and 14 members of staff in the shop.
Planning officers gave the supermarket the go-ahead after agreeing that it would replace an ad hoc group of buildings which "added little to the character and appearance" of the area. They said the addition of a good-quality new supermarket would outweigh the loss of a site used predominantly for employment.
In the report into the decision to give the plans the green light, it was stated that planned alterations to the Hockey's Lane/Fishponds Road junction proposed under the scheme would be of "significant benefit" to the road network and outweigh the impact of extra traffic.
It will be Aldi's fifth supermarket in the city. The firm already has shops in Southville, Southmead, St George and Henbury.
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by CurseofGnome
Saturday, January 28 2012, 1:14AM
“Come on fishponds!
On other threads this would be called progress. Something for the city to be proud of. An unstoppable force for good. Bristol would have been a laughing stock if this hadn't been given the go ahead.
But then this is fishponds and not where a football club owned by a tax exile need the income to build on the green belt. Shame.”
by brisguide
Friday, January 27 2012, 11:57PM
“Supermarkets are a good indicator of an area's affluence, or lack of as in this case.”
by sheila2010
Friday, January 27 2012, 9:47PM
“Fishponds is SO lucky! We will have a Co-op, Morrisons,Lidl, Spa, Aldi as well as the new Sainsburys that is about to open in the old Woolworths shop. Shame we will have to sit in traffic jams for ages to use these shops or perhaps we could get the bus and carry our week's shopping on our backs!”
by DM_Fishponds
Friday, January 27 2012, 1:46PM
“The decision to ban the left turn into Hockeys Lane was made by GBBN/Tim Kent/BCC BEFORE New Station Road was closed.
The count of traffic turning left into Hockeys Lane ('ONLY' 844 vehicles between 0700 and 1900 hrs) is bound to be more now that New Station Road is blocked and it will increase during ALDI's construction and after it is opened.
This means that GBBN/Tim Kent/BCC are introducing a banned left turn based on out of date information.
Given the adverse publicity they are currently receiving do they think it would be wise to generate more anti-GBBN/BCC feeling? And base the ban on out of date information?
We have been told that Bristol City Council is not Anti-Car. I cannot see how this can be true when you look at this decision.”
by RobMcCarthy
Friday, January 27 2012, 1:27PM
“The picture looks like it was drawn on windows paint.”