New Aldi to bring jobs to Harworth

Bassetlaw Council planning officers recommended members vote against the Scrooby Road store - saying it was an out oftown development which would harm the town centre.

But councillors voted overwhelmingly in favour of the plans at the planning meeting on1st May - saying it would help boost the local economy.

Coun June Evans said: “Harworth was a mining community but this is no longer the case. This application presents a fantastic opportunity for change.”

Coun Brian Hopkinson said it would keep people in the area as well as attracting shoppers from out of town.

“People will remember me making a comment at a previous meeting about Harworth being aone horse town - it’s not so much now it’s growing,” he s aid.

“That meeting was about Harworth’s growth plan over the next 25 years - what we envisgaed wasn’t a one horse town but a Pegasus.”

He added: “Sloth will get us nowhere and we need to keep moving - we cannot rest on our laurels.”

The application for the 990 sqm store off Galway Mews received 55 letters of support locally and three letters of objection from residents who expressed concerns about loss of privacy and anti-social behaviour.

Aldi property spokesman Mark Taylor said: “This multi million pound development would create 200 construction jobs and 30 new permanent local retail jobs. We would also be prepared to enter a local labour agreement to ensure the jobs are local.”

“Aldi has also committed to investing around £50,000 in to local public realm which includes two new electric real time bus stops, shelters and improved pedestrian linkages.”