Aldi plots Newcastle switch

The expanding supermarket group wants to leave its Westerhope site for the former Go Outdoors space at West Denton Retail Park.

Projekt Architects and Avison Young are leading Aldi’s professional team.

In its design & access statement, Projekt said that the Westerhope site is now no longer fit for purpose, and the vacant Go Outdoors unit would be a fitting step up for the retailer:

“The Stamfordham Road, Westerhope store is one of Aldi’s smallest in the Northeast, with an outdated layout and so no longer meets the modern standards Aldi requires. All options to improve this store have been considered, but due to existing site constraints, the only viable option to safeguard Aldi’s future in the area is to relocate.

“Aldi has identified an ideal site at West Denton Retail Park, some 500m away, that will mean Aldi can maintain a presence in the area. The existing store will trade as usual, until the proposed new store is open.”

The professional team also includes Hydrock 3E, All About Trees, NJD Environmental Associates, Total Ecology, Environmental Nosie Solutions, ND Transport Planning and Griffiths Procter Land & Investment.

On moving to West Denton, Aldi’s trading area would be expanded, from 9,146 sq ft at the current location to 15,881 sq ft at the new site – as a general rule, Aldi’s new-build stores have sales areas of around 13,000 sq ft to 15,000 sq ft within buildings of around 20,000 sq ft. The Go Outdoors building as a whole is 28,600 sq ft.

Only minor adjustments will be made to the parking at West Denton, expanding by two spots to 111 spaces, a significant increase from Stamfordham Road, which only has 69 spaces. There are also spaces allocated to the retail park’s other stores.

Aldi’s intended new home was built in 1994 with its neighbouring buildings, and housed a Wickes until Go Outdoors took over in 2009.

The plans are available to view on Newcastle City Council’s planning portal, with the reference 2023/0680/01/DET.