A Hendon Ward councillor has urged Aldi to consider the area for one of its new stores.
Cllr Michael Mordey, Labour councillor for Hendon Ward, has emailed the discount supermarket chain, urging them to include the area in its store expansion initiative.
With the company looking to invest £1.4billion in stores across the UK, Aldi is in pursuit of freehold sites in town centres, outskirts of town and retail parks deemed suitable for development.
Hendon is one of the few areas of the city without a supermarket, and with residents feeling the impact of the recent closure of Tesco in The Bridges, the councillor has taken matters into his own hands.
“I’ve asked Aldi to meet with Cllr Lynda Scanlan and I to discuss the options available to them so that we can fight Hendon Ward’s corner and make sure we are first in the queue,” he said.
“It’s only been 24 hours since we requested the meeting and residents have really gotten on board with the campaign too and have flooded my Facebook page and local community groups with suggestions, all of which we will be sure to put forward should they agree to meet us.
“For too long, Hendon Ward has suffered from being one of the only areas of the city without access to inexpensive, healthy and nutritious food, especially since the closure of Tesco in The Bridges, and this would be transformational for the area.”
The idea of securing an affordable supermarket for Hendon has also been backed by Cllr Lynda Scanlan, who believes such a move would bring a much-needed jobs boost and significantly improve the area’s retail offering.
Cllr Scanlan added: “A new supermarket will greatly benefit Hendon, creating jobs while providing residents with access to good quality, affordable food and household goods.
“As one of the more affordable supermarkets, it will also provide a much-needed alternative to residents who are really feeling the pinch of the cost of living crisis brought about by the Conservative Government, so we will keep everything crossed that it comes to fruition.”
Cllr Mordey is currently awaiting response from the supermarket chain.