Plans here

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“Plot twist”

Had my fingers crossed for something like tkmaxx but that’s alright.

And how will Bell Green cope with all the traffic? It is frequently jammed up now and you can actually taste the air pollution around the junctions.Aldi are saying there wil lbe another 3000 rtn journeys a day and they have a vested interest in estimating that on the low side.

I have been to bell green at differing times and days and never have I seen really bad traffic for a ‘retail park’. ( There isn’t currently that much there to draw you so good to see the Aldi!)

And there is always hundreds of spaces, am I missing something? Granted I do not live beside it so apologises.

Will be great not to have to go into the massively congested Catford!

No one cares if htere are parking spaces or not; the issue is the road congestion o nthe gyratory system and its feeder roads- Southend Lane, Perry Rise and Perry Hill… The council itself state the system is above capacity from their own data.

I suppose if it’s decided (by the council?) that bell green is to exist as retail park then perhaps we might expect some shops people actually want to go to setting up and for those people to be happy about it.

The comment on parking spaces was a general comment but actually how can there be so much congestion but no-one actually in bell green parked?! I wonder if the congestion is just bad traffic management system which may outside of Aldi’s control.

Sorry if it’s a different experience for you.

Permission has just been granted by the council for Aldi to take over the Toys 'R Us building:

DC_18_108701-Decision_Notice-742695.pdf (95.9 KB)

How does everyone feel about their new local supermarket?

Presumably there may be objections put in…or is it too late for that now?

Paging planning experts @Michael and @anon6jg

I don’t think objections are possible, as it is already a retail store. We might try asking to have a bit more ecological awareness on the management of the delivery bay area, and wildlife enhancement behind the fencing, but that’s about all. Except for a serious look at the light pollution conditions which I gather the whole retail park is flouting. Basically, hold them to every one of the rules already in place.

I have a great concern about the pollution, but we need a local plan to start tackling that, so please talk to your councillors about it. I wonder whether increasing the dwell-time for visitors by including leisure - children’s soft play etc, might reduce the proportion of pit-stop shoppers? Basically, get shoppers to spend more time and money there, and get more community benefit from each car journey… That can only work if the estate is willing to improve the visit experience, and make it slightly less grim.

Does anyone have an ETA for the opening?

Excited. And impatient.

Sad to see yet another multinational setting up in Sydenham but this is life as people just consume and don’t think about where it comes from/ quality of produce and the effect the logistics has on the environment.
This forum should be about promoting local business. So lets start threads promoting where people can find alternatives. Where do we all get our meat and veg from that isn’t a large multinational? What are the good shops and markets and butchers that we recommend and is there much of a price difference. For me this is just another supermarket I will not be going to. Maybe admin can start threads on local businesses to help break people out of the routine of just going to the big shops for sub-par produce? I manage to do nearly all my shopping at Billings, PFC and the small veg shops nearby or the weekend markets and its actually cheaper for some items but the quality is way ahead of what the supermarkets have.

My New Years resolution was to not spend money at big corporations (particularly Amazon) and reduce packaging waste. Generally I’m doing pretty well not to blow my own trumpet and here is where I get stuff:
Fresh and fruity - fruit and some veg
Billings - meat (particularly mince, bacon and chicken thighs), fish and occasional cheese
The Sausage shop (Beckenham) - sausages, what else?!
Penge Food Hub - typically veg, fish and locally made fridge or cupboard treats
Milk and more - milk, yogurt, eggs, cheese, occasional bits and bobs

Non food pressies - typically Kirkdale Books, Bunka (Forest Hill or Beckenham) or Jumping Bean (Beckenham)

Hi Cormac, I heartily agree on starting threads for local businesses like Billings - in fact there already is a topic for Billings.

Please do start topics talking about your favourite independents and we will promote widely on social media.

Let’s keep this particular topic focussed on Aldi for those interested in the development (everyone is entitled to their own preferences of course)

Getting back to Aldi (apologies for the slight tangent!) I always think it has a lot more choice than Lidl and some great own brand stuff (particular the stuff angled towards the healthier crowd - eg: their version of whole earth peanut butter, healthy snack bars and “crisps” etc). Only problem is anytime I used to opt to shop at an Aldi instead of Lidl I’d always buy/spend way more because of all the different stuff!

I live just behind the retail park. I’m glad about an Aldi personally. Normally I shop at Lidl but have to grab bits from Sainsbury’s because Lidl’s around here aren’t very big - it costs me a lot! An Aldi superstore will save me, & I’m sure others, a bit of cash.

Also never really have a problem with the traffic around there. Usually only sit there for one run of the traffic lights which really isn’t that bad. Especially compared to the Catford bridge travesty down the road.

Are you speaking as a resident?

Yep, just behind the retail park.

Spot on. Catford Bridge is horrendous most of the time yet Bell Green retail park is usually a breeze to get in and out of. Sainsburys is such a horrendously poorly run ‘hypermarket’ and always has been for the 16 years I’ve had to use it. The addition of Aldi is very very welcome for us.

And I too am a resident from two streets away who can just see the top of the back of these units from my bedroom (they are orange lit at night and look a bit like a sunset at a glance!)

I welcome the new Aldi. My mother resides in the properties above the Sports Direct so she is as close to this complex as one can get. I am unsure if people are aware but this is an age restricted block so it is inhabited by the elderly that cannot afford the prices at Sainsburys yet cannot travel further due to health constraints.

I look forward to my mothers pension ceasing to dwindle in a shop that is too expensive for the immediate community considering a large proportion of the block opposite mothers, Orchard Court, appears to be inhabited by those that are on benefits.

With regards to the traffic, I visit mother every other day after work and I stay till night. I am travelling in rush hour and I have never had any delay in reaching mothers due to excessive traffic. There is traffic, but it is moving traffic. The traffic is appropriate for rush hour and then it ebbs away when expected. Admittedly, when there has been road works it has caused delays but that is normal with road works is it not?

There will never be a resolution for all. This is will bring jobs and affordable retail but will impact the surrounding environment. What to do.

Some progress- you can no longer look straight through it and wiring is going in. I think their Summer 19 opening is looking optimistic though.

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The Aldi recruitment website says November - that seems a bit more realistic!

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Whenever I get a cab using Uber, Kapten or Bolt, the GPS always sends them down the back streets off Perry Vale to avoid the lights at the bottom of the road. This despite the roadworks in Perry Hill.

It is not about delays, it is about air pollution and noise pollution- the areas around the roads there are already at twice the legal limit for air pollution ( maps can be found on Lewisham website) and we don’t want even more with both Aldi and the self- storage. Lewisham council is all for preaching green solutions with one hand by appointing a cycling/walking tsar and total hypocrisy with policies that will allow the go ahead to even more pollution.
It seems a bit strange that none of these Aldi supporters seem able to see the link between traffic and pollution and even stranger that so many join the forums around here only to post about Aldi. One such poster said she would "love to shop at Aldi" (too much ambition i think!) yet that is the only post she ever made???

I cannot even dispute that Jay. The air quality in Lewisham is a joke and the powers that can tackle, address and change it don’t give a hoot. I don’t think the solution is to limit shops though, it is to limit the exhaust fumes so cleaner cars and buildings are needed.
As for noise, its London. If anyone can find a peaceful place away from traffic in London do tell me so I can move there

2 posts were merged into an existing topic: Billings

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The sign is up

https://www.aldi.co.uk/sydenham

Your new Aldi Sydenham

Bell Green Retail Park, SE6 4PU

There are lots of amazing reasons to shop at Aldi.

First, you’ll find outstanding offers every day on fresh meat, fish, fruit and veg. Then there’s our outstanding Specially Selected range at unbelievably low prices.

And on Thursdays and Sundays, our famous Specialbuys come in, which can include anything and everything, from fabulous furniture to brilliant baby products and beyond.

Opening hours

• Monday – Friday 8am – 10pm
• Saturday 8am – 10pm
• Sunday 11am – 5pm

Healthy savings. Free Super 6 bag!
On opening day, the first 30 people will receive a free shopper bag of fresh fruit and veg from our famous Super 6 offers. How super is that!

Read more at: https://www.aldi.co.uk/sydenham

Dies anyone know if it has a bakery on site?

Congrats

What did you think of the new store? Is it the kind of place you could get all your groceries or will people be combining it with a visit to Sainsburys?

Well it depends on what someone want, I personally will keep pop up to Sainsbury because they haven t a bakery and off course I love the reduction on reduction they do on stuff that will be out of date daily. Aldi have a various range of stuff in the shop, it s good and cheap. I think yesterday Sainsbury is been hit strongly the car Park was nearly empty instead the Aldi car Park very busy. We will see if Sainsbury will introduce a new range of politics for attract more people, we have to remember all the complaints to Sainsbury supermarket and as well we need to keep on eye on what will happen with our Bell Green redevelopment in the next future, many things in the pan

Weird there isn’t a bakery when it seems like such a large space. Sure will pop down as an alternative to Lidl for anything can’t get from the high street independents.