Could Aldi be coming to Hungerford?

Plans have been submitted for a discount food supermarket in Hungerford.

The application, by Aldi Stores Limited and Kerridge Properties Limited, is for a 1.725sqm store with 102 customer parking spaces on currently vacant ‘brownfield’ – previously developed – land north of Charnham Street.

It states: “The store will be located on the western boundary, fronting on to Charnham Street; car parking will occupy the remainder of the site, to the east and north of the store.”

It goes on to claim that “a new store helps to retain expenditure within a given catchment area, to the benefit of the community”.

It says: “In addition to the proposed redevelopment of the site, the proposed scheme will also deliver a considerable economic boost to the local area through the creation of local jobs by Aldi.”

The application cites the draft Hungerford Neighbourhood Plan which, it says, “suggests that the range of services and shops should be increased” and adds: “It is also noted that Hungerford acts as a service centre providing facilities to neighbouring villages.”

With regard to convenience store provision within Hungerford, the application states: “The Tesco located on Everland Road is the only large convenience store to serve the whole of the town.

“Other small local convenience stores are also located within the town centre, including a Morrisons Daily, a small Asda located within a petrol station on Charnham Street and J&P convenience store also located on Charnham Street.

“It is considered that, based on the above, Hungerford town centre is performing well and represents a healthy and viable town centre that is resilient to change.”

The application claims that the Tesco store enjoys “a very high level of overtrading… reflective of the dominance of that store in the Hungerford market and the fact that the store is trading above its design capacity.

“Our analysis indicates that the Aldi store will divert some expenditure from Hungerford town centre (and the Tesco store in particular), but not to the extent that such impacts could be considered significant or give rise to policy conflict.

“Such impacts that are identified are not considered sufficient to threaten the vitality and viability of the town centre as a whole, and the existing Tesco store will continue to trade well in excess of its company average performance level.”

It concludes: “It is clear in our view that the [district] council’s own evidence base indicates that Hungerford is under-provided in terms of convenience goods shopping provision, and that there is a clear need for additional provision and competition.”

Hungerford Town Council’s environment and planning committee has reserved judgement and members plan to ask the applicants to make a presentation to councillors.

Meanwhile the application can be viewed in full, and commented on, by visiting the planning section of West Berkshire Council’s website and using the reference 25/01203/FULMAJ.