Budget supermarket retailer Aldi is planning to open a new branch in St Ives.

The Hunts Post: Councillor Phil PopeCouncillor Phil Pope (Image: Archant)

Representatives from the German firm, which has more than 10,000 stores across Europe, have visited both St Ives Town Council and Holywell-cum-Needingworth Parish Council in recent weeks to set out their vision for a new store.

The retailer is hoping to open in the town in late 2018, or early 2019, and has earmarked a two-acre site in Needingworth Road, on the edge of the town, for the proposed branch, though no formal planning application has yet been submitted.

According to a presentation given to St Ives Town Council’s planning committee on June 28, the firm hopes to create about 50 jobs and will focus on “recruiting locally”.

According to St Ives Town Council’s meeting minutes: “Queries and concerns were raised about the impact on road traffic both during the construction phase and once the store was in use.

“Reassurances were given that this had been modelled and that deliveries would be out of peak hours and vehicles used in such a way that a delivery yard would not be required.”

The announcement comes just months after plans for a new branch of Morrisons was approved by Huntingdonshire District Council, with plans for new McDonalds and Subway restaurants in the surrounding area also approved this year.

Councillor Phil Pope, the mayor of St Ives, said: “When you move in two large supermarkets, a Subway, and a McDonalds, you need to make sure something is put in place by way of infrastructure improvement, so it will be interesting to see what sort of proposal is made for the roads.

“St Ives is an amazing place and it has so much diversity in its independent shops so I hope this new supermarket doesn’t take away from its unique character.

“If the plan went through it could take people out of the town and we want them to continue to come into the town to support the independent traders too.”