Did developers jump the gun at new Aldi build?

Planning enforcement officers are ‘investigating’ after construction work appears to have begun at the site of a new Aldi in Telford before developers had received approval over how to deal with an old mine shaft, it has emerged.

Telford & Wrekin Council has been advised by mine works owner the Coal Authority that work needed to be carried out before construction on the site of the former Shropshire Star printworks had begun. Demolition work is allowed.

The Coal Authority had originally objected to the development, telling planners in July 2024 that “the presence of recorded mine entries pose a potentially high risk to development at the site”.

It later withdrew the objection but on October 14 it advised the council not to pass the pre-commencement “condition 6” as further evidence was needed.

The Coal Authority told the council that “no evidence or reporting has been presented that confirms any of the proposed remedial works has been undertaken.

“It is our expectation that these works proceed in full, and until such time as complete and reported on, compliance with condition 6 will remain incomplete.

“Consequently, we are unable to recommend that the local planning authority discharge condition 6 until suitable evidence is forthcoming.”

A spokesperson for Telford & Wrekin Council said: “As the local planning authority, we have not received confirmation that this specific condition has been met, so our planning enforcement team will be investigating to ensure that all required conditions are met in accordance with the planning permission granted.”

All works affecting Coal Authority property require a Mining Remediation Authority Permit be obtained prior to their commencement.

Morris Property announced that ‘construction’ was underway in September 2024. Drone footage captured by the Shropshire Star in September 2025 showed progress on the scheme with structures visible on the site.

The Coal Authority had accepted that the store building has been sited in a manner which avoids the shaft itself, but noted that the plan “does not show the extent of its zone of influence”.

Planners at Telford & Wrekin Council told planning agents that “no development shall commence (excluding the demolition of existing structures) until more investigations of the risks were established”.

They ordered for those to be “implemented on site in full in order to ensure that the site is made safe and stable for the development proposed”.

Those should have been submitted and approved in writing by council.

Emails on the council’s planning portal dated October 30, 2025 reveal that council planners told agents that they needed to “confirm agreement in writing” of the pre-commencement coal mining condition which has “not been discharged”.

On the same day, the agent replied that the condition appeared to be “identical” to one called for in 2024.

“So I’m happy for this to be added,” the agent added.

Telford & Wrekin Council planners approved other amendments to the Aldi scheme on November 3, 2025 with the coal mining condition remaining outstanding.

Aldi confirmed that it will be one of the tenants on the site which is being constructed by Morris Property. The 20,000 sq ft store is set to open in 2026.

Aldi directed queries to developer Morris Property.

A spokesperson for Morris Property said that further evidence has been supplied to the local planning authority.

A spokesperson said: “Following the Coal Authority’s comments to our application to discharge condition 6 further evidence has been supplied to the local planning authority [LPA].

“Our engineering consultant has confirmed they believe this will satisfy the Coal Authority’s requirements and enable the condition to be discharged.

“We now just await a reply from the LPA.”

The council said on Thursday morning that the planning portal will be updated as and when it receives the information.