Aldi seeks approval for Brighton & Hove expansion

Plans for Aldi's fourth store in Brighton and Hove are set to go before planners.

The budget chain wants to build a store at Court Farm, in King VI Avenue, Hove.

The proposed Aldi store would have 1,880 square metres (sqm) of gross floorspace, including 1,315sqm of retail supermarket floorspace and a 107-space car park.

Brighton & Hove City Council has received 29 objections to the planning application and 22 letters or emails in support.

The application will be discussed at a planning committee meeting on Wednesday.

It comes more than two years after Aldi's original plans for the site were withdrawn, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

If approved, Aldi would be subject to legal agreements including a £150,000 contribution to improve the number 21 bus route for two years.

It would also be required to spend £30,000 on upgrading the neighbouring A27 Brighton bypass junction - also known as the Devil's Dyke interchange.

Objectors to the expansion cite a lack of need for a supermarket, the effect of “heavy” car use and the design of the building.

But supporters said that the plans were a good use of a brownfield site and would complement the 1,000 new homes planned in Toads Hole Valley.

The council’s economic development team has backed the proposal in principle as the supermarket would make use of a redundant site and create up to 50 jobs.

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