Aldi is doubling down on its bid to take over Bracknell’s derelict Homebase site, insisting its £7 million plan would turn a vandalised eyesore into a jobs‑rich, budget supermarket hub for the town.
Homebase had a very large retail unit on two levels with additional retail space on a high level mezzanine, whereas Aldi has plans to divide the plot into two.
Aldi is adamant its scheme is the best way to bring the empty unit back into use.
Lee McCandless, real estate director at Aldi UK, said: “This is a £7 million investment that would bring a vacant site back into use, create well‑paid local jobs and significantly improve choice for shoppers in Bracknell.”
The chain says its proposal would see the long‑vacant Homebase building split into two retail units, including a new Aldi store, with a rear extension plus upgrades to parking and landscaping to smarten up the entire plot.
The latest images from Western Road show the old Homebase sign has now been removed from the building, underlining how far the former DIY store has slipped from its past and how ready the site is for a complete reset.
The building, once the headquarters of Clifford’s Dairies before being redeveloped for Homebase, has stood empty since March last year and has become a target for graffiti and smashed glass.
The site is currently contributing “nothing to the local area”, Aldi argues, whereas the supermarket would generate around 40 new local jobs at the store alone, all on industry‑leading pay rates above the National Living Wage, along with further employment tied to the second retail unit.
The retailer also stresses that the scheme would give residents access to its award‑winning range of high‑quality products at low prices, widening shopping choice on this side of town at a time when many households are scrutinising every weekly shop.
Residents living near the site have already written in to support the plans, saying the current state of the site is dragging down the area and that a walkable Aldi would cut car journeys and pressure on the existing store at Birch Hill.
One neighbour, Caroline James of Anneford Place, said having an Aldi nearby would ease parking problems at Birch Hill and reduce carbon emissions because many locals would be able to walk rather than drive.
For now, it is Aldi that is visibly pressing ahead on the ground – and the stripped‑back frontage at the former Homebase will only add to the pressure facing planners: that the dead site should be allowed to be reborn as Bracknell’s next discount supermarket destination, rather than continuing to lay idle.
