PLANNERS have given the green light to turn the PC Word store in St Johns into an Aldi supermarket despite concerns it could affect local traders.
The old PC World store on Tybridge Street will now be taken over by the discounted supermarket chain after councillors approved the plans at a planning committee meeting on Thursday (August 20).
The application didn’t receive any objections from local residents, but Coun Roger Berry said the new store could cost St Johns traders more than £5million in lost business.
“St Johns certainly suffered during the recession, it could be described as a centre of second hand shops,” he said.
Despite Coun Berry’s concerns planning officers from Worcester City Council recommended that the committee approved the application.
At the meeting Kenneth Edmond, of Henwick House, St Johns, who has lived in the area for more than 10 years, said that the majority of residents are in favour of development.
“We don’t want to see the building become derelict and then it will be subject to vandals. Residents are looking forward to the application being approved,” he said.
Coun David Wilkinson said that there hadn’t been strong opposition from local traders after receiving letters of support from the St Johns Traders Association.
Calls to support the plans was added to by Coun Derek Prodger who said that the Aldi store ‘would benefit the St Johns area’.
The majority of councillors voted in favour of the plans, with only Coun Berry voting against.
