Highways stall decision on Aldi supermarket

A dispute over number of shoppers, where they will come from and the distance they travel, is delaying a decision on Aldi’s new Whittlesey store.  

The county council says trip generation forecasts by Aldi are not acceptable.  

“This is consistent with our approach concerning other Aldi developments within the county,” says Hannah Seymour-Shove of county highways.  

She told Fenland planners: “As such, the proposed trip generation for the development is not agreed.  

“Trip generation for the Aldi store should be determined using surveys obtained from existing Aldi sites.” 

She says that Aldi has used calculations on housing density levels within a 10-minute drive time of the Eastrea Road site.  

“A 10-minute drive time seems a very short distance,” says Ms Seymour-Shove. “This should be expanded.” 

The county council is also insisting the store should include “suitable measures and incentives such as bus taster and/or cycle discount vouchers for staff to promote sustainable travel”. 

The county says that “with no agreement on what impact the development will have on the surrounding highway network, it is not possible to determine what mitigation is needed to make the development acceptable.  

“Once the full impact of the development is known, mitigation measures can be assessed.” 

In conclusion they add: “The application does not include sufficient information to properly determine the highway impact”. 

They have asked Fenland Council to delay a decision until fresh information has been submitted and reviewed.  

Aldi’s consultants believe they have provided the county council with sufficient detail that “demonstrates that the proposed development is acceptable in highways terms”. 
 

Meanwhile residents continue to bombard Fenland planners were letters in support of Aldi. 

One recent supported wrote that “I cannot wait for it to open.  

“I usually bike to Aldi in Peterborough and because I cannot do it very often, I returned loaded as much as possible.  

“To have this shop here is real joy. What attracts me in this chain is not just the very good prices, it is also important is the quality - and in Aldi I find some products that I think is the best quality in England”. 

She says Aldi Greek cheese is “amazing” and that honey has been “verified real” and that Aldi’s Jersey milk makes delicious yoghurt. 

And she describes Aldi pulled pork as “the most delicious I’ve tried”.