Aldi have shelved plans to build a superstore on a controversial site on Tarporley High Street - but say they continue to explore ‘other options’ in the village.
There was mixed reaction among Tarporley residents back in November when the discount food retailer released proposals for a new store on land just off the village high street, despite Aldi promising the building would ‘reflect the unique character of Tarporley’.
An artist’s impression of the supermarket highlighted free customer car parking, a new community car park and attractive landscaping, which they believed would contribute to the ‘vitality’ of Tarporley.
At the time, an Aldi spokesperson said they were ‘excited’ at the prospect of delivering an Aldi store for Tarporley, but after holding a public exhibition which enabled residents to give feedback on the proposals, The Chronicle can now reveal that the scheme will not be going ahead.
Aldi Property Director George Brown said: “Aldi is still committed to bringing a new food store to Tarporley but, following the public exhibition last year, it was clear the proposed location was not preferable. After holding further discussions with the parish council, we have decided not to continue with our interest in the High Street site.
“We would like to thank local people for taking an active interest in our plans and we are continuing to explore other options within Tarporley. We will keep the local community updated once we have identified an alternative, suitable site to provide a new food store.”
Hundreds attended the public consultation, with 50% of people saying they thought Aldi in Tarporley would be ‘a terrible idea’ and 47% saying they were in favour of it.
Main concerns were traffic management on the high street, and congestion, as well as the effect on local businesses and independent shops.
