Plans have been approved on a controversial plan for an Aldi between Reading and Wokingham.
Plans have been in the works for two years to build the new supermarket south of Gazelle Close near the Winnersh Fields business park.
The site, off Reading Road, is currently a field near Wickes, Pets at Home, Halfords, and an upcoming Sikh Gurdwara.
Plans show the Aldi having 123 car parking spaces, with seven disabled spaces, four active electric vehicle charging spaces and facilities for 20 more in the future.
The plans proved controversial due to concerns about flooding.
The Environment Agency stated that Aldi’s flood mitigation measures were ‘inadequate’ and failed to address the flood risk for the lifetime of the development.
Although Wokingham borough council’s planning committee voted to approve the project in December 2023, it later revoked permission due to the flooding concerns raised.
The Environment Agency submitted information stating that the flood risk posed by the River Loddon, located under a mile away, could increase by 23 per cent due to climate change.
At the time, a report by Wokingham’s planning officers stated: “The application site is within an area of flood risk and has failed to demonstrate that it would not increase the risk of flooding elsewhere.”
The government department of local government intervened, with the Conservative secretary of state taking over the decision-making process, which is termed a ‘call-in’.
In a U-turn, the council’s planning department stated that it supported the project during the appeal process in April last year.
Ultimately, it was judged that the Aldi would be beneficial and suitable flood mitigation measures had been devised.
The council’s statement of case said: “The proposed development will result in a number of beneficial impacts.
“The proposal will have a positive economic impact by resulting in jobs and new business to the area.
“It will provide a new day-to-day shopping facility within a sustainable and accessible location to residents.
“Considering flooding and drainage, large parts of the site fall within a flood zone, and the Environment Agency has objected – this weighs negatively against the proposal.
“Notwithstanding this, the flood compensation scheme and surface water drainage strategy have been advised to be acceptable.
“Overall, it is considered that on balance the benefits of the scheme outweigh the negative impacts.”
The project recently received full approval from the government.
The decision was made by Baroness Sharon Taylor of Stevenage, parliamentary under-secretary of state for housing and local government, following a report by planning inspector David Wildsmith.
You can view the application by searching reference 230099 into the council’s planning portal.
