Aldi store approved after two-year planning battle

The Aldi store would be built in a flood zone

The government has approved the building of a new Aldi supermarket in a flood zone after a two-year planning battle.

Wokingham Borough Council initially approved the store, in Winnersh, Berkshire, in December 2023, before rescinding permission six months later.

The issue went to a planning inquiry in May 2025, where the Environment Agency withdrew its own objection after one day of evidence.

Aldi said the store would be protected from flooding by ditches with an alarm system if water levels rose too high.

The site, on wasteland off Gazelle Close, is an area at high risk from the River Loddon, the agency previously said.

However, planning permission for a vehicle dealership without the same level of flood protection had already been granted, the planning inquiry heard.

In a decision letter, the government said the dealership plan was "inherently unsafe" and would probably be built if the Aldi store was refused.

Aldi would create 63 jobs and add nearly £3m to the local economy, local government minister Baroness Taylor added.

The council received 59 comments from residents, with many welcoming a low-cost retailer to compete with Sainsbury's in the village.

The site already has planning permission for a car dealership