Supermarket wars heat up as Aldi wins approval for new store in Cambridge
Aldi has been granted permission to revamp the old Wickes building on Newmarket Road in Cambridge.
It will be unwelcome news for Tesco, which already has a large store on the plot next door.
Aldi said in its application the new store “will employ 50 people – none of these are on zero-hour contracts”.
The planning permission went to the Cambridge City Council planning committee in March, but final approval was only granted after council officers finalised the S106 agreement.
The site, 393 Newmarket Road, will be refurbished and parking reduced from 124 spaces to 114.
In its application Aldi said: “The store will be just the second Aldi in the city – our existing store at Histon Road is very popular, with many customers travelling a long way to shop there.
“However, for many years Cambridge residents have been telling us that whilst they would love to shop with Aldi, Histon Road just isn’t accessible for them – a new store on Newmarket Road will make affordable food shopping more accessible, bring much needed choice and competition.”
Aldi said prior to approval it hopes to have the store open “early next year”.
Lidl won approval earlier this year for a store off Newmarket Road, to be created by splitting the existing Homebase store split in two. It would site between the remaining Homebase store and the neighbouring Dunelm shop.
Read more
New Lidl store gets go ahead in Newmarket Road, Cambridge
