Latest update on new Aldi for Greater Manchester as supermarket chain gears up to open in Morrisons building
A new Aldi is set to open later this year serving the people of Ordsall and Salford Quays. The supermarket will take over the former Morrisons store on Trafford Road after Salford council approved a planning application in October.
New plans submitted to the council this week have revealed that Aldi is preparing to put up its own signs and branding around the building.
The 50,000 sq ft site has been sitting empty for a decade after Morrisons previously left. The site is part of an area known as Radclyffe Park, a complex which includes shops and a hotel alongside leisure and housing.
There is an existing car park with around 297 parking spaces at Radclyffe Park according to planning reports.
Initial plans sent to Salford council last year suggested Pure Gym could be one of the firms to operate in the building alongside Aldi.
Pure Gym was contacted for comment but said it could not confirm if it will be moving ahead and setting up a facility at the site.
The building is based near to large residential areas, with apartments around Salford Quays and several housing estates in Ordsall, and is also close to Anchorage tram stop where there are services to Manchester city centre.
An Aldi spokesperson said: “We’re very excited to be bringing a new Aldi food store to Trafford Road, serving residents living in Salford Quays and Ordsall.
“We’ve begun work on site, and look forward to welcoming our first customers in the coming months.”
Ordsall Councillor Brendan Keville supported plans to reopen the empty building.
In a letter to Salford couuncil’s planning committee he wrote: ‘Radclyffe Park shopping centre in Ordsall is an essential part of the local economy with a variety of shops supporting a growing community.
‘The closure of the Morrisons store several years ago was a huge loss for the area in terms of local jobs as well as access to a range of affordable food and retail needed in the area.’
Major regeneration work is planned in both Salford Quays and Ordsall in the near future, with thousands more homes to be built in the wards which are expected to grow in population numbers.
A regeneration framework for MediaCity and the Quays plans to bring 3,000 new homes and more business opportunities across around 75,000 sq metres in the city.
In Ordsall, major works in the pipeline include more than 3,000 new homes across ten blocks at Regent Retail Park, including one of the UK’s tallest skyscrapers.