Aldi has said that if its plans for a new food store in Llay are approved, it will ensure that the committed works to the Crown crossroads will be fulfilled, having submitted its planning application last month to Wrexham County Borough Council.

Aldi consulted on its plans for a new store in June which attracted a high level of local support. 295 respondents (74%) supported the proposals, with many saying the store would be good for Llay and the local economy, creating more jobs for the local community.

While support for a store was high, Aldi recognised that there was local concern about the potential traffic impact on the Crown Crossroads and Gresford Road, and in response has made significant changes to the plans to include an additional left in only turn from Straight Mile.

This additional access will reduce Aldi traffic through the crossroads by up to 20%.

This will be in addition to the significant improvements that the upcoming works to the junction and traffic lights will have – which were a condition of the housing development on the adjacent land off Gresford Road. It is thought that the proposed store will put the necessary pressure to complete these upgrades before Aldi could start construction.

Bryn Richards, Regional Property Director for Aldi, said: “We would like to thank those residents and stakeholders who took part in the consultation and provided their feedback.

“Aldi is committed to community consultation, and we know how important it is to respond to the feedback we have received from Llay residents.

"A number of residents raised their concerns about the traffic around the Crown crossroads, therefore, we are pleased to announce our changes to the scheme which include an additional access off Straight Mile. This, as well as the already-planned improvements to the junction, will vastly improve the traffic at the Crown Crossroads.

“It is also important to reaffirm Aldi’s commitment that we made during the consultation: should our planning application be successful, Aldi will not commence construction on the site until the improvements to the Crown crossroads have been completed. We are committed to working with the local community to ensure that the highway works are fulfilled.”

“These improvements will benefit Aldi’s construction team, its future customers, and most importantly, nearby residents.”

Aldi believes there is a need for this kind of community food store in Llay, as it is currently only served by a small number of convenience stores. Many of its customers currently shopping in its Wrexham stores travel from Llay and nearby areas to complete their weekly shop. A store in Llay will not only reduce travel times and costs for customers but keep spend local. The multi-million-pound investment will also see the creation of up to 40 local jobs that pay at an industry-leading rate.

Wrexham County Borough Council will determine the application, with a decision expected to be made in the coming months; the application reference is P/2019/0525.

Anyone who would like to find out more details about Aldi’s proposal for Llay can contact a member of the project team on the Freephone information line, 0800 298 7040, email feedback@consultation-online.co.uk, or visit the project website for updates at aldi-llay.consultationonline.co.uk/en.