Aldi has submitted a formal planning application for a new supermarket in Porthcawl.
It’s the first major development on the key Salt Lake regeneration site. Following Bridgend Council’s marketing of the site, Aldi was announced as the winning bidder earlier this year.
The proposal – at the northern end of Salt Lake (opposite Porthcawl fire and ambulance stations) – is for a 2,045sqm building (1,421sqm sales area) with a 114-space car park.
The store will be accessed via a new arm off the Portway roundabout. The car park will initially have four spaces with electric vehicle chargers but this could be extended to at least 20 spaces in the future.
A landscaped public seating area/public space to the immediate south of the store will be provided along with cycle parking.
A public art plan proposes a timber groyne fence around the edge of the site with engravings that “celebrate Porthcawl’s natural environment”. Bespoke benches/seating areas could also be made of waste plastic collected in Porthcawl.
An ecological assessment says the proposed development will have little to no impact and the proposed landscaping plans may end up improving the local environment.
Additionally, the proposed store is expected to achieve at least a BREEAM “Very Good” rating – the third-best rating for a new building’s environmental impact. It’s said it won’t require a gas supply for heating either due to the use of air-source heat pumps and a waste heat recovery system for the external refrigeration units.
