Plans for new Aldi supermarket, nursery and retail units in Buxton submitted to council

The application, for land at Foxlow Farm in Harpur Hill, also includes space for 158 car parking spaces and 26 cycle spaces.

The five retail units would be sui generis which would mean they would be available for a variety of uses from a hot food takeaway to a veterinary surgery or a public house/drinking establishment.

The proposed new Aldi store would replace the supermarket’s existing premises on Station Road.

Documentation supporting the application states: “The proposed Local Centre will serve the new Foxlow Farm residential development and the existing residential and employment development in the surrounding area.”

The development site would sit adjacent to the Foxlow Fields residential development which is currently ongoing, and opposite the Staden Lane Industrial Estate.

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In terms of the new Aldi store, the documentation states: “The proposed Aldi store will provide a larger modern format store replacing the first generation store which no longer meets the retailer’s requirements or customer expectations. Since the original store was built, the popularity of discount retailers such as Aldi has increased significantly and the current store is experiencing issues relating to its current significant overtrading. However it is unable to be extended on-site given site constraints.

"The current Aldi store is therefore unable to provide its up-to-date store layout and offer to residents, meaning that the customer experience and offer of the store falls short of what Aldi require and what Aldi customers expect."

It adds that the current site at Station Road would be marketed for re-occupation but it is “unlikely the retail unit would be sold or let to another convenience store operator owing to the limited scale of the store, which does not match the modern format of any current foodstore operator, and the fact that it would clearly not be in the business interests of Aldi to create an opportunity for increased convenience store provision in the town either through the relocation of an existing operator, or introduction of a new operator in the town. As such, it is considered that the unit would most likely be re-occupied by a comparison goods retailer.”

Outline planning permission for a mixed-use development on the site including 375 residential dwellings, a residential care and/or retirement facility comprising up to 70 units, Local Centre containing A1/A4 uses, business use and community uses and associated access, car parking, open space and landscaping was approved in 2014.

Access to the site will be via a new internal access road which forms part of the residential development, and is accessed via Ashbourne Road.

Reconstituted stone will be used on all of the units, the application states, with walls constructed using a combination of artificial stonework and cladding panels, which will complement the stonework.

Tree planting and landscaping also forms part of the plans.

The application is due to be decided by councillors in May.

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