Verdict in on new Aldi supermarket for Bolton next to notorious Beehive roundabout bottleneck

Bolton council’s planning committee this week granted the discount retailer’s latest application – eight months after turning down similar plans.

In November 2024, proposals for a 1,800 sq/ft store at Paragon business park in Chorley New Road, Horwich, were rejected by the council amid concerns about traffic, road safety, flooding and biodiversity.

The discount retailer subsequently commissioned more detailed reports on the impact of the store on nearby roads, including the Beehive roundabout, a notorious bottleneck.

They also submitted more information about biodiversity net gain and flood risk to the satisfaction of planning officers.

The site entrance will be just yards from the Beehive roundabout, with vehicles entering from Chorley New Road. Traffic flow around the site will be in a one-way anti-clockwise direction, with the exit being a new traffic light controlled junction on to De Havilland Way.

At the meeting, Aldi argued that the new traffic lights would create ‘breaks in traffic’ which would mitigate the ‘dominance’ of the De Havilland Way approach to the roundabout. In turn, they said that would allow better flow through the roundabout from north to south and vice versa.

Council planning officers had supported approval of the scheme, as they had done for November’s failed application. The supermarket giant said approval of the plans would mean the creation of 40 to 50 full and part-time local jobs on the site and various other indirect jobs in construction, supply chain and support.

Aldi added that they would target construction within 18-months of obtaining planning permission.

The site is also close to Bolton Wanderers’ Toughsheet Stadium. Horwich councillor David Grant spoke at the meeting to oppose the application.

He said: “Chorley New Road and the Beehive roundabout are already operating at or near capacity. “Anyone who lives in or regularly passes through Horwich will tell you that congestion here isn’t hypothetical – it’s a daily reality.

“The brunt of the Aldi related traffic will be on Chorley New Road.“The applicant’s traffic modelling fails to reflect peak school traffic for Claypool primary and St Joseph’s high school, both of which are within a few hundred metres and weekend congestion for Bolton Wanderers games.

“Their approach may work on a spreadsheet but it doesn’t in Horwich at 8.15am on a school day.” Bryn Richards, Aldi’s national real estate director, addressed the committee.

He said: “Since the refusal we’ve worked closely with your officers to address the reasons. “The revised application responds directly to those concerns with a particular focus on highways and road safety.

“Our scheme improves the road layout. “This is a policy compliant, technically sound proposal that delivers real benefits.

“There will be improved access to affordable food, 40 new jobs and £10M of local investment.” Aldi already operate a store in Horwich, less than a mile away from the proposed new location at Mason Street but have said the proposed store had no implications for the retailer’s ongoing operation in Horwich town centre, which they consider serves a different catchment area.

The new store will have 131 car parking spaces.