Construction firm Stepnell has delivered a new £2.2 million scheme for global, budget supermarket chain Aldi in the East Midlands.
The new 1,315 sq. metre retail store, located in Edwalton, Nottingham, is the second Aldi store that Stepnell has delivered in five years – with the first store opening in Kettering in 2015.
The brand-new store, which opened its doors to the public earlier this month, was completed in under a year and features a modern interior with a concrete slab floor, concrete block internal walls, curtain walling and an entrance canopy, as well as a new entrance road, car park and external landscaping works.
Designed by national architects The Harris Partnership, the single storey supermarket also comprises of a steel frame, insulated cladding and roof insulated cladding.
Tom Sewell, East Midlands regional director at Stepnell, said: “We are really pleased to have recently completed our second project for Aldi. The scheme showcases our ability to deliver high-quality, contemporary supermarkets on tight schedules within a short timeframe, and also highlights our strong track record in delivering challenging projects in retail construction.
“During the building phase, we were challenged with a busy garden centre opposite the site, which we had to overcome by forming a pull in and turning area to allow delivery vehicles to manoeuvre straight off the road and reduce traffic congestion. As a considerate constructor site, we also had to install parking signage to deter contractors from other sites parking in the garden centre entrance.
“We also complied with government policy to remain on site throughout lockdown and were forced to consider new ways of working for our staff and subcontractor partners to keep the site safe so we could ensure it stayed open.
“As a complete construction partner, we have worked closely with Aldi to deliver a high-quality contemporary build, using local construction workers and suppliers throughout. The new Nottingham scheme is a testament to our excellent working relationship with Aldi and we hope to partner with them on further stores in the future.”
Wayne Hanley, senior architectural technician from The Harris Partnership said: “The whole construction team kept working throughout lockdown, which is amazing given the unprecedented situation. This made it even more rewarding to work on this scheme for Aldi which has generated real employment opportunities for local people, in a difficult climate. Each scheme presents its own challenges, and we are proud that we delivered the required solutions to ensure this store was completed to a high standard.”
The newly opened supermarket will benefit the local economy through the creation of 45 new jobs for the area, promised by Aldi as part of its investment in local communities across the UK. The discount supermarket also plans to create 4,000 jobs next year as part of the expansion plan to have a portfolio of 1,200 stores by 2025.
More than a 100 customer car parking spaces have also been created by Stepnell as part of the external works, including seven disabled spaces and six parent and toddler spaces. Ten cycle hoops have also been installed.
