A BARROW Aldi store is set to expand after planning permission was granted.

The Aldi store on Risedale Road is creating an extension to front elevation of the store, a new external entrance and an extension to the warehouse area.

They will also be reconfiguring the car parking area to include new pedestrian walkways, ten additional parking spaces of which four are EV charging bays; and they will replace external plant equipment.

An officers' report prepared before the meeting of Barrow council's planning committee stated: "Overall, the external design adopts the corporate design now consistent across the Aldi portfolio with modern, smart buildings, clean lines and glazed frontages and involves rendering over the brickwork and the introduction of a new glazed shop-front."

It details that the extension to the front elevation will measure 7m by 46m, with an entrance lobby beyond measuring 6.2m by 4.6m which will include high level ribbon windows to let natural light into the store, resulting an an increase in gross floorspace by 336 square metres.

The reconfiguration of the car park will see an increase from 96 to 100 spaces overall, including two additional motorcycle spaces, one additional disabled space, one additional parent and child space and four new electric vehicle spaces.

The report said that "between five and 10 new jobs are likely."

In the report conclusion they wrote: "The design should result in an attractive building on a busy corner location and the investment in the store and job creation are positives for the town.

"The property is in a highly sustainable location with good pedestrian access, acting as a predominantly neighbourhood store for the local community to access on foot.

"The proposals are recommended for approval on this basis."

The plans were approved with conditions on October 6.

One of the conditions includes having three woodstone/woodcrete bat boxes and a mix of three bird boxes installed on the site and retained, in the interest of "securing biodiversity net gain."

Measures must also be put in place to prevent damage being caused to the trees and shrubs that are being retained.