Aldi's fight to gain planning approval for an £18m Rye supermarket has hit another hurdle after East Sussex County Council re-lodged two objections to the project's flood risk management strategy.
As a result, Aldi is now racing to comply with flood management requirements as well as trying to overcome National Highways' objections to proposals for road access to the busy A259. These vital matters will need to be addressed several weeks before the end of May, which is the current deadline for a planning decision by Rother District Council (RDC).
It also means the German discount supermarket will have to revisit its flood planning and drainage strategy only a few months after the Environment Agency said it had no objections.
In a letter to RDC's planning division in early April, ESCC's Communities, Economy and Transport division lodged an "objection due to insufficient information", stating that: "The applicant has failed to meet the requirements to assess its acceptability in flood risk terms."
In its role as lead local flood authority, the ESCC's second objection was that: "The application presents an unacceptable on site / off site flood risk."
On a more positive note for Aldi, the council proposed what it expects to be done to resolve the drainage problems and offered to discuss the issues raised.
Meanwhile, it remains unclear whether Aldi's transport consultants can convince National Highways (NH) that the supermarket will not produce an "unacceptable impact" on A259 traffic flows. NH earlier recommended that planning permission be withheld until April 29 unless all its "concerns and requirements ... are fully resolved".
RDC's planning portal currently indicates that a decision will be made by May 30.
The supermarket planning application has sparked huge public interest in Rye, with a large number of local people submitting comments to RDC. While the overwhelming majority of this feedback expresses support for a second supermarket to introduce greater competition and reduce grocery prices, the planning authority will also take other factors into account.
A spokesperson for Aldi said: "The project team are continuing to work closely with Rother DC officers and statutory consultees, providing extra information and amendments as necessary."
The development on Winchelsea Road also includes proposals for 16 private homes and a large building for retirement accommodation.
