Aldi has announced it wants to move from the town centre to a new supermarket on the Edgar Road retail parks.
The discount retailer says its new store is no longer fit-for-purpose and Moray customers are missing out on benefits experienced elsewhere.
However, concerns have been raised from shoppers about the move from a central location and traffic concerns in the area.
The Press and Journal attended a public consultation event held by Aldi about its proposed new supermarket to put the big questions to them.
Where would the new Aldi be opened?
Aldi wants to take two units of Elgin Retail Park, which is already home to Iceland’s Food Warehouse, Pure Gym and Matalan.
It has earmarked the two units between Pure Gym and Edgar Road. A small extension would be built on the rear of the units.
The unit to the right would principally be the supermarket while the one on the left would be warehouse space, a “welfare block” and house equipment.
Why does Aldi want to move?
Aldi officials at the public consultation reemphasised their current Elgin supermarket, which opened 18 years ago, is no longer fit-for-purpose.
The firm says it has exhausted options to expand the store due to the site being constrained by the A96, Trinity Place, Elgin Town Hall and an SSEN substation.
Officials explained that expanding the store into the car park would also reduce the already limited 65 car park spaces.
Aldi says the new supermarket would be a £3 million investment from the firm and create 10 new jobs in the Elgin area.
What changes would Elgin customers see?
Aldi says the more modern store could lead to noticeable changes for Elgin shoppers.
Plans for the new supermarket show the floor space for customers would be 50% larger than the existing location.
Officials say the extra room would allow for wider aisles and more space for customers move around in.
Aldi management explained the lack of space in the current supermarket can lead to it feeling “constantly busy” throughout the day.
They added that extra shelf space would mean staff would need to spend less time repeatedly stacking shelves during the day, which would lead to less boxes and cages for customers to squeeze past.
What about traffic on Edgar Road?
Edgar Road is already one of Elgin’s busiest streets, and the addition of a new supermarket to the retail parks is one of the biggest worries about the proposed location.
Despite the worries, Aldi says it has put forward no junction improvements to the retail park entrance as part of its initial plans.
What do you think about the plans for a new Aldi supermarket in Elgin? Let us know in the comments section below.
It says it has already submitted initial plans to Moray Council and is waiting to hear any initial comments or concerns back from the authority.
Officials explained a transport assessment would be carried out as part of the final planning process.
Indicative plans do show markings within the car park would change to allow traffic to move freely.
What about Elgin bus links?
Another big concern about the new Aldi supermarket in Elgin is it moving away from its central location near the town’s bus station.
Worries have been raised the relocation could limit access for customers in the north of the town or for those who rely on public transport.
Aldi has stressed the new location is served by Stagecoach routes 33A and 33C, which operate between Elgin and Lossiemouth.
Passengers who travel into Elgin by bus from other communities would though be required to change at the bus station if they wanted to continue to shop at Aldi.
Are there enough car park spaces for new Aldi supermarket?
Elgin Retail Park currently has 373 dedicated car park spaces, a significant increase from the 65 at Aldi’s current store.
However, the supermarket chain would be required to share the spaces with the other tenants.
Aldi would occupy two of the 10 units, meaning it would reasonably account for 74 of the spaces, more than it currently provides in the town centre.
However, two of the other units are currently empty, which would free up further capacity and increase that number to 93 in the immediate future.
Aldi are proposing installing trolley bays only at the front door of the new supermarket.
The decision would mean relocating some disabled bays, which would slightly reduce the capacity of the car park as a whole.
Why Aldi needs planning permission for new supermarket
Aldi needs planning permission to move into an existing retail park because the units were granted approval with a restriction on the amount of food they can sell.
It means that while stores like Home Bargains and B&M sell food, it only accounts for a small proportion of their total floor space.
Iceland had to apply for the restriction to be lifted when it opened its Food Warehouse store in 2020.
The move was controversial at the time and attracted opposition from Elgin Bid due to worries it would divert trade from the town centre.
Aldi says it expects to submit final plans for the new Elgin supermarket either late this year of early next year.
What happens if Aldi doesn’t get permission for new supermarket?
Aldi officials were adamant that its current Elgin supermarket is no longer fit-for-purpose.
They explained they would work with Moray Council through the planning process to meet any demands put on them.
They added that if a new store was not possible then they would need to “reassess other options”.
Aldi’s consultation about its proposed new Elgin supermarket remains open until September 20. Views can be submitted online HERE.
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