The Aldi supermarket chain is claiming big public support for its plan to set up a new food store in Dedworth - as councillors prepare to decide whether to allow it or not at their meeting next Wednesday.

The application is being recommended for approval by Royal Borough officers but has been unpopular in some quarters as it is on a site that has previously housed Wyevale garden centre - and more recently British Garden Centres.

Aldi bought the site last year.

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Throughout the pre-application consultation and application process Aldi has made changes to its plans, including the introduction of timber cladding to the planned store’s exterior and enhanced landscaping including along its western boundary.

The company has undertaken an extensive consultation and says that 83 per cent of the 1,096 people who responded supported it.

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Lee McCandless, Aldi’s Regional Property Director, said: “We have worked closely with the local community to create a sensitively designed scheme in a sustainable location, which will provide tangible economic and community benefits to the area.

“We are hopeful members of the Development Management Panel will recognise the local support the proposals have and the significant benefits on offer to the community when deciding whether to approve this application.”

The formers owners of the site, Wyevale, decided to sell the site to Wates in 2018, after concluding that the Garden Centre was no longer economically viable to run. Aldi then bought the site from Wates in 2019, after recognising it would be a well-placed location to open its first store in Windsor and Maidenhead.