New Aldi planned as McDonald's drive thru gets thumbs up

Shoppers are due to get a new Aldi store in Buxton as the supermarket chain’s most recent shop in the town is to be replaced by a new McDonald’s Drive Thru and Restaurant.  

High Peak Borough Council’s Development Control Committee approved Buxton McDonald’s Restaurants Ltd’s planning application to demolish the Aldi supermarket, on Station Road, Buxton, and to build a restaurant at the site with a drive-through lane facility, 53-space car parking, a cycle store, and landscaping on 0.6 hectares of land.

To mark Aldi’s official partnership with the ParalympicsGB organisation, store manager Phil Welling and staff will be joined by ParalympicsGB silver medallist Lewis Stewart to officially open the new, replacement Aldi store, on Altar Way, Buxton, near Ashbourne Road, at Harpur Hill, from 8am, on Thursday, November 2, with a ribbon cutting-ceremony and complimentary bags of fresh fruit and vegetables for customers.

Mr Welling, said: “We can’t wait to open the doors to the new store in Buxton. It’s set to be a special day and having Paralympics hero Lewis Stewart join us will make it a morning to remember.”    

The new Aldi store is also calling on local charities and food banks in Buxton to register with its ‘Neighbourly’ scheme which is a community engagement platform that links businesses to charitable organisations in the community.  

ParalympicsGB cyclist, Lewis Stewart, said: “I’m so excited to be opening Aldi’s new store. It will be great to chat to customers and a lovely way for me to thank Aldi for its support of ParalympicsGB.”  

The new McDonald’s store will be situated on Station Road at the old Aldi store site – opposite the Spring Gardens shopping centre and car park – after planning permission was granted at a meeting on Monday, October 23.

Some of the public and some councillors raised concerns about the health implications of a new McDonald’s Drive Thru and Restaurant , a possible increase in noise, and a possible increasing carbon footprint from idling car engines, as well as the possibility of attracting ‘boy-racers’.

An agent, speaking on behalf of McDonald’s, told the meeting that litter-picks will take place from the restaurant, that the site will be powered by renewable and solar energy, and that the restaurant’s produce will be sourced from the UK and Ireland.

High Peak Borough Council’s Development Control Committee voted to approve the McDonald’s planning application for a restaurant and drive-through with a condition that the opening hours be restricted to between 6am and midnight, instead of the proposed 24-hour drive through service.

The council is still waiting to hear back from some consultees but it has stated that it is not expecting any outstanding objections, and should there be any concerns these would be addressed at a delegated committee meeting at a later date.

Local charities wishing to register with Aldi’s ‘Neighbourly’ scheme will be also able to collect surplus food and perishable products, such as fruit, vegetables and baked goods, seven days a week.   

Any charities in the area that would like to partner-up with the new Aldi store should contact aldi@neighbourly.com by email.  

The new Altar Way Aldi store’s opening hours will be between 8am and 10pm, Mondays to Saturdays, and 10am to 4pm, on Sundays.

The new Buxton drive-through McDonald’s restaurant will have 377 square metres of internal space, about 76 seats and a takeaway service with a possible outdoor seating area.