Aldi supermarket plans for former Wigan garage

Bryn councillor, Steve Jones, said he has had confirmation from the discount retailer that they are looking at building a store at the former Arnold Clark site.

Coun Jones said that Aldi have confirmed they have put a pre-planning application in to Wigan Council.

The Wigan Road garage has been empty since March after it closed at the start of the first coronavirus lockdown.

Coun Jones said: “Aldi have confirmed they have put a pre-planning application in to Wigan Council. At this stage there are no more details but as soon as I know more I will update people.”

Coun Jones said he is not sure about what his stance will be on the supermarket and will act on the views of residents which he said have been mixed.

Some support the idea of a new supermarket to provide a cheaper alternative for shoppers and create jobs, while others are concerned about traffic and parking issues.

Coun Jones said: “All I can say at the moment is a pre-planning application has been made as the council won’t divulge anything else to me, so I have no other details about the proposed store.

“The garage has been empty since the start of the coronavirus lockdown.

“Some residents have come to me about it and are 50/50, so I’ll be guided as always by their views.

“We don’t have a supermarket in Bryn like an Aldi and it would offer something different for shoppers and create jobs. However, I would say that I hope Aldi have the right traffic measures in place, as the main concerns are regarding traffic and parking.”

He added: “With the Arnold Clark garage, there were issues with people parking in front of nearby houses and so I’d want to make sure that Aldi address these issues.”

Wigan Council declined to comment when asked if they were aware of an

application.

Aldi have been contacted for comment by the Wigan Observer but have failed to respond to our enquiry.

However, the retailer did confirm in June that it was targeting 20 stores in Greater Manchester, with one of these in Ashton and others in Orrell and Shevington Vale.

They said they were willing to explore all opportunities, including developer-led schemes or existing retail units.