Aldi declines to give timeframe for Moate store development

Aldi Ireland said this week that it's "committed" to the delivery of its planned new store in Moate - but it declined to give details of the timeframe for when work will start and the store will open.

It's exactly two years ago this week that Westmeath County Council granted planning approval for the new supermarket on a portion of the former Roseland site along the Athlone Road approach to Moate.

At that stage, Aldi envisaged the Moate store would be opening in 2025.

The retailer said the store would provide 30 new jobs, as well as 50 during the construction phase.

However, despite the erection of new hoarding around the development site in March of this year, construction has not yet begun.

The Westmeath Independent contacted Aldi last week seeking an update on the timeframe for the project.

A brief response which we received on Monday indicated the company didn't wish to publicly disclose a timeframe for the store.

"We remain committed to constructing and opening a new store in Moate in the near future and will announce the timeline in due course," was the company's response to our questions.

Aldi was given the green light by the council for what was billed in 2023 as a €6.8 million new store development.

In planning documents, the company said the store would "greatly serve the town and wider rural landscape" by enabling people to "conduct their big weekly shop in the local town rather than having to travel further distances to other settlements for their shopping".

As part of the development, Aldi is due to build a pedestrian crossing on the Athlone Road and develop a landscaped civic space in front of the store, which it said would "significantly improve the existing public realm" at the site.