An Aldi supermarket on the Beehive Roundabout is up for approval more than two years after an application to Bolton Council.

The retailer applied for planning permission for a site at the junction of Chorley New Road and De Havilland Way in early 2022.

In late 2022, The Bolton News reported it was on the back burner because of a multi-million-pound bid by the council to the Department of Levelling Up for work on De Havilland Way. This multi-million-pound bid by the council was rejected last year.

However, next week it is back on the agenda because it is up for approval by the Planning Committee at the town hall. If it is approved it will be on the condition the retailer is able to prove a positive impact rather than a negative impact on biodiversity.

A report said: "It is considered the development complies with the development plan. 

"Therefore, the application is recommended for approval, subject to a unilateral undertaking which the applicant will submit to the council in due course regarding Biodiversity Net Gain."

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There is opposition from rivals Lidl and Tesco, saying alternative sites were not taken into account by the applicant, and from residents, saying the entrance on Chorley New Road and exit on De Havilland Way would add to the traffic at an already busy Beehive Roundabout.

There is a petition of almost 100 residents in support of the supermarket too.

(Image: Aldi)

David Grant, leader of Horwich and Blackrod First, said: "There was a £20 million bid a number of years ago to improve the Beehive Roundabout and in the report it said the roundabout was at capacity. 

"This report [to the Planning Committee] says it will not have an adverse impact on the traffic which is absolute nonsense in my opinion. If you build a supermarket people are going to go to the supermarket."

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Cllr Grant said: "They mention the impact on Horwich Town Centre but they do not mention the impact on Blackrod Town Centre.

"It is a small town centre but there are two butchers, there are a number of convenience stores, and these could be impacted too."

Aldi said the approval of planning permission would allow for construction within 18 months and for the creation of more than 40 jobs.

The Planning Committee is at the town hall on July 18.

This article was written by Jack Tooth. To contact him, email jack.tooth@newsquest.co.uk or follow @JTRTooth on Twitter.