Aldi axes plan for Bristol supermarket in further blow for city suburb

Aldi has dropped plans to expand one of its supermarkets in Bristol - a further blow for a regeneration project in one of Bristol’s most deprived areas.

The supermarket giant said ‘after careful consideration’ it had chosen not to go ahead with expanding its store in Southmead, despite saying it would be forced to close the site if it could not expand just two years ago.

The move comes after Bristol City Council relocated Southmead’s library to a temporary home and closed Southmead Youth Centre to make way for a bigger supermarket.

The news of the supermaket’s decision comes in council papers released which also reveal the area will not get a new Southmead Health Centre at a planned development on Glencoyne Square.

Instead, a new shared library and health and well-being hub, run by Southmead Development Trust, will form part of the plan, which will also see the number of homes on the square increased from 120 to 187.

What Aldi have said

In a statement to Bristol World, Aldi said: “After careful consideration, we have chosen not to proceed with the expansion of the Greystoke Avenue Store in Southmead. Throughout this process we worked closely with Bristol City Council on the matter and updated them accordingly.

“We remain committed to investing in the Greystoke Avenue Store in the future and we will keep the community updated on developments.”

What now for the Southmead Library and Southmead Youth Centre buildings?

Ahead of the planned Aldi supermarket expansion, the library moved to Southmead House. The building is owned by Bristol City Council, and it’s not yet clear what will happen next to the site.

Southmead Youth Centre building was leased to Southmead Development Trust. When it closed to allow for the planned Aldi expansion, all services were moved to alternative locations in Southmead, and a full renovation was carried out at the Ranch Adventure Playground.

For now, an existing occupier of the centre, Gracie Barra Jui Jitsu Club, has been given permission to use the site.

What’s now planned for Glencoyne Square

The square development was to include a relocated Southmead Health Centre - but the city council has been unable to enter an agreement with NHS Partners over funding, and so the health centre will remain in Ullswater Road.

Instead, a smaller health and well-being hub is proposed at the site. This will be in a shared building with a relocated Southmead Library, advice and learning hub and a community enterprise space.

More homes are proposed - up from 120 to 187 - while maintaining a similar building footprint, although the height will increase. A third of the homes will be ‘affordable’.

A play area proposed in the centre of the new park has also been dropped due to its proximity to homes.

A planning application on the changes to the plan is set to be decided on this month - and the council hopes work on the development will begin in 2024, with completion in 2026.