Supermarket submits new plans

[Jason]

LONG-AWAITED plans for a new Aldi store in St Annes town centre have been submitted to Fylde Council.
The German retailer has applied to demolish the town's Conservative Club building on Clifton Drive North and St Anthony's house on St George's Road.

They will be replaced with a four-storey building, which would include the food store and 34 apartments, six more than previously thought.

Aldi, who bought the buildings on the site for £1m in early 2006, wants to build a 830 metre "gateway" store in the town.

The development will also include a home for the Conservative Club and underground parking.

Bosses from planners Turley Associates say the proposals will be "largely similar" to those originally revealed in May 2006.

The proposal initially caused controversy over the proposed loss of the Porritt-style building and fears that the retailer was too downmarket to run a flagship store in the town.

A planning application was due to be submitted following the public exhibition but Aldi bosses have held off for nearly two years while continuing to insist they would be coming to St Annes.

No timescale is been given for the creation of the supermarket, which would become the fourth in the town.

Council planners expect to make a decision on the proposal by May 8, although the scheme may need to go before councillors at a Fylde planning meeting.