Proposals to build a new £4.25 million business site in Dundee could see nearly 60 jobs created in the city, according to a leading supermarket chain behind the plans.
Aldi will lodge a planning application for a new Dundee East store on Tom Johnstone Road later this month and has urged local residents to share their views at a series of consultation events.
Supermarket bosses will create 35 full time roles immediately if Dundee City Council grants planning permission, however they have also revealed further plans to create more jobs by bringing other employers the site following “a series of high-profile closure announcements for the city”.
Aldi wants to build up to 10,000 square feet of new employment space at the rear of the the proposed new store, creating up to 24 further jobs and bringing the total employment potential of the site to 59.
The company has argued the site could potentially unlock additional economic benefits for the area, as the current land owner plans to build a further 10,000 square feet of business space on adjacent land but can only fund this through the sale of the currently site.
Philip Johnston, property director for Aldi in Scotland, said he believes the announcement will be welcomed in the wake of hundreds of job losses at the city’s Michelin tyre plant and building contractor McGill.
He said: “We anticipate our application for a new Dundee East store and the number of employment opportunities will be welcome news to residents and local businesses, particularly at a time where there have been a number of closures in the area.
“Aldi will create up to 35 local full time jobs with the new store but significantly we will also be initiating further economic growth with additional employment opportunities through this development.”
The supermarket chain has invited local residents and interested parties to attend public consultation drop-in events this week to share their views.
Meetings will be held at St. Aidan’s Centre on Brook Street from 2pm until 7pm on Wednesday February 20, and Douglas and Mid Craigie Hall at the Parish Church on Balbeggie Place from 2pm until 7pm on Monday February 25.
Feedback from the sessions will be included in a consultation report for the new store, which will include roles from apprenticeship level through to store manager.
If councillors give their approval to the plans, the site would be the supermarket chain’s fourth store in Dundee, with two already trading and another currently under construction in the Myrekirk area, due to open this summer.
