New Aldi store in Moate set to open this year

The development of a new Aldi supermarket in Moate has gotten underway more than two years after planning approval was granted for the store on the Athlone Road approach to the town.

Aldi Ireland confirmed to the Westmeath Independent this week that it's aiming to have the new outlet open for business before the end of this year.

The single-storey supermarket is being built on part of the former Roseland ballroom site, and will include provision for 117 car parking spaces and 20 bicycle spaces.

Permission for the store was granted by Westmeath County Council in November 2023 and, although hoarding was erected around the site last March, no construction work took place in 2024 or 2025.

Last week, however, a digger began working at the site, and a spokesperson for Aldi confirmed that the process of building the store was commencing.

"Preparatory works are underway for our upcoming store in Moate," the retailer said in a brief statement. "We hope to open the new Aldi store later in 2026 and will announce further details later in due course."

The planning application for the store said it's expected to create 30 permanent jobs, as well as 50 jobs during the construction phase. When completed, it will join Buckley's SuperValu as one of two supermarkets in Moate.

The plans state that the new Aldi branch will "provide a discount foodstore within the town centre area of Moate and will provide for the day-to-day shopping needs of the surrounding neighbourhood and town catchment area".

The store is due to have a gross floor area of 1,818 square metres, with a net retail area of 1,316 square metres.

The planning application added that the store development was "designed to a high quality and finished with high-grade materials including glazing and metallic cladding" which would "provide a strong, positive frontage along this strategic stretch of road between Moate town centre and the M6 motorway to Athlone/ Galway/ Dublin".

The proposed opening hours of the store, according to the planning application, are from 8am to 10pm, Monday to Saturday, and from 9am to 9pm on Sundays and public holidays.

In addition to the store itself, a "new landscaped civic space complete with soft landscaping works" is planned "along the site’s interface with the Athlone Road," with Aldi stating that this "will significantly improve the existing public realm on offer" at this location.

A controlled pedestrian crossing is also due to be put in place by the retail chain in the vicinity of the store on the R446 (Athlone Road).

Planning permission for the store was granted by the council on November 22, 2023, subject to 15 conditions.

The conditions included that Aldi must pay a development contribution to the council of €47,286 prior to starting the construction project.