Aldi are hoping third time is a charm as they prepare to submit plans for a new £7 million Aberystwyth store.

The discount food retailer says the proposed store will create up to 40 new jobs and will benefit the town and surrounding area.

Aldi says it has also addressed the flooding concerns that led to a previous application being rejected by the Welsh Government.

Announcing a consultation on the plans, Aldi said: “The proposals would see a new Aldi food store located on land at the Former Kwik Save Site off Park Avenue, enhancing the local retail landscape and providing a new use for a long-vacant brownfield site, which contributes nothing to the local economy.

“The site, which has stood vacant for over a decade, will be transformed to provide a modern discount food store representing a significant economic investment of £7 million in the area.

“Residents will be aware of Aldi’s long-held desire to open a store in Aberystwyth.

“We have tried twice before now to open a store. Permission was granted in 2011 for this site to be developed and again in 2019, however last time was called in by Welsh Government and refused.

“We have now addressed the issues from the previous applications and are bringing forward a viable and much-needed scheme to revitalise this brownfield site in Aberystwyth.

“Aldi is already a key investor and employer in Ceredigion, having recently gained planning permission to build a new, larger store in Cardigan.

“A new Aldi food store, well located for Aberystwyth and its surrounding villages, would improve the local supermarket offering, meaning residents will not have to travel over an hour to Cardigan to access quality, healthy food.”

Rob Jones, Aldi Real Estate Director added: “We are thrilled to bring forward plans for a new Aldi store in Aberystwyth, investing over £7 million in the local area and creating up to 40 jobs. We encourage residents to participate in our consultation to learn more about the scheme and share their views.”

The plans include 77 car parking spaces and eight electric vehicle charging points.

Plans for a standalone store on the site were approved by Ceredigion County Council in 2019, but the Welsh Government blocked them in 2022, over flooding fears, with the then Climate Change Minister, Julie James, saying: “The decision (to refuse planning permission) would prevent development being undertaken on a site at risk of flooding, where it has not been demonstrated the potential consequences of a flood event could be adequately managed.

“If the application was approved, the benefits in terms of supporting the objective of responding to the climate emergency may not be secured.”

Aldi has previously said it was ‘extremely concerned’ by ‘continued roadblocks’ that are “severely hampering efforts” to bring forward its new store at Aberystwyth, with Rob Jones describing the process as ‘extremely slow’.

A pre-application consultation will run from Thursday 28th May until midnight Thursday 25th June 2026.

To find out more, visit aldiconsultation.co.uk/Aberystwyth.