Latest news with #Stowmarket
The Sun
2 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Shoppers rush to major supermarket get their hands on a 99p mirror
SHOPPERS are flocking to a major supermarket to get their hands on a stylish mirror for less than £1. The absolute steal was found in the middle aisle at Aldi, and the price was almost too good to be true. 3 The egg-shaped mirror sits inside a thick white frame and measures at 40 x 38 x 2.5 cm - making it the perfect bathroom or bedroom accessory. Sharing the discovery on Extreme Couponing and Bargains, the delighted customer said: "Found in the middle aisle!" She added that she'd found the Pebble Mirror in the Stowmarket store. Other shoppers couldn't believe the price and rushed to the comment section. "You can't beat that. Fab 99p", one said. "I've got this mirror in my bathroom, I should have waited and got it for 99p, mine was the original price," wrote a second. Another asked if there were many left. The mirror is no longer available on Aldi's website, so it may only be specific stores that sell the piece as part of a clearance. It's worth keeping in mind that not all stores stock the same items, or have the same prices. Some products may be on sale or reduced due to damage. Aldi has a store finder on its website and app so you can check on stock before making a trip. And remember that the middle aisle changes every week, so you better hurry! This comes after the German grocer announced its expansion plans, splashing out £650million on 10 brand new stores this year. Over the next 14 weeks, ten brand new branches will open across the UK and they'll bring with them around 400 new jobs. Why do Aldi and Lidl have such fast checkouts IF you've ever shopped in Aldi or Lidl then you'll probably have experienced its ultra-fast checkout staff. Aldi's speedy reputation is no mistake, in fact, the supermarket claims that its tills are 40 per cent quicker than rivals. It's all part of Aldi's plan to be as efficient as possible - and this, the budget shop claims, helps keep costs low for shoppers. Efficient barcodes on packaging means staff are able to scan items as quickly as possible, with the majority of products having multiple barcodes to speed up the process. It also uses 'shelf-ready' packaging which keeps costs low when it comes to replenishing stock. Aldi now has more than 1,050 stores across Britain and has set its sights on 1,500 as part of its long-term plan. Each of the 10 new sites will create around 40 jobs, with staff earning at least £12.75 an hour, and even more inside the M25 at £14.05. That's before a planned pay bump this September that'll push starting pay up again. All Aldi staff also get paid breaks, worth around £1,370 a year to the average store colleague. Alongside the new sites, Aldi will also give 30 of its existing stores a fresh new look. These will include popular locations in Manchester, Liverpool, Kent, Dorset and Scotland. The chain's managing director of national real estate, Jonathan Neale, revealed why the company was expanding rapidly, in a statement released today. He said: "We strongly believe that everyone in Britain should have access to high quality food at our unbeatable Aldi prices. "But we know that there are still thousands of shoppers in the capital that don't yet have access to an Aldi nearby." The budget chain has tossed £55million at its capital city stores alone, with four of the new branches being in London. These include the Wimbledon, Fulham Broadway, Orpington and Caterham (Surrey) branches. Aldi also wants to open another 100 stores in London, which would mean 3,500 new jobs in the capital. Jonathan said: "There are still thousands of shoppers – especially in London - who don't yet have an Aldi nearby. "That's not fair, and we're working hard to change that.' So if there's not an Aldi near you now, chances are there will be soon and your weekly shop might just get a whole lot cheaper. 3 3
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Attack of the megasheds: The homeowner who has lost more than half a million pounds as 1.17million sq ft warehouse for The Range ruins views of rolling farmland
A horrified grandfather says £600,000 has been wiped off the value of his home and rental properties after a massive warehouse used by The Range sprung up beside his land. Ken Lungley enjoyed spectacular views over Suffolk countryside until work began on the 1.17 million sq ft 'megashed'. Now the sprawling building used by the variety store and garden centre retailer 'blights' the area and has caused the value of his retirement investment to collapse from £1.5 million to just £900,000. In a further blow, the local council has approved an even bigger warehouse beside the commercial site, which Mr Lungley, 79, fears will further slash what his nest egg is worth. He is powerless to do anything about it and told the Mail: 'You can't stand in the way of progress - but not in my back garden. 'It was all nature. Now all I can see is the warehouse roof and a big sign that says 'The Range'.' Divorcee Mr Lungley bought an acre of land with five barns in Creeting St Peter, near Stowmarket, in 1990 for £65,000 and converted four of them. One became his four-bedroom home and another is now a four-bedroom holiday home which he rents out for £1,500 for three nights or £2,000 for a week. The third structure houses a 28x14ft swimming pool that can be rented for £40 an hour and there is also a long-term rental property which brings in £1,150 per month. The businessman, a father-of-two who ran a scaffolding company in London for 50 years, has sunk around £500,000 into the site over the years and intends passing it on to his family one day. But the idyllic setting was changed forever when approval was given for the warehouse after a local farmer applied for permission. 'I have it valued every now and then because estate agents are always offering free valuations,' said Mr Lungley, who lives in his home with his two dogs. 'It went up and up and up [in value] and three years ago I had it valued and it was worth £1.5 million. Then when this building went up, I had it valued again and it was £1.2 million. 'Now it's gone down again. According to Zoopla it's worth £900,000. If they had built houses on it, it wouldn't be so bad on the eye. 'There are six or seven families in a little group here who complained about it [when the planning request was submitted] but that didn't get anywhere. 'I suppose it's a god send that it's only one warehouse, not ten or 11 little ones which we could have got. The Range's warehouse is part of Gateway 14 Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mid Suffolk Council, which has permission for 2.36 million square-foot of floor space and is part of Freeport East, a set of low-tax, low-regulation zones given the green light in December 2021. 'But another one is going to go up on the other side of a road that runs through the site and it's even bigger. That's lots of warehouses and I think it's 156 acres. 'It used to be farmland. Certainly it's sad to have lost that view because there were deer and hares and everything over there. 'I could look into legal action about blight but I can't get the money.' Noise pollution hadn't been an issue, he added, but lights were left on all night at the car park until he spoke to the council and enforcement officers were called in. The land the warehouse is situated on was sold by a farmer and planning permission for a business park was granted in August 2021. It is run by Gateway 14 Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mid Suffolk Council has permission for 2.36 million square-foot of floor space and is part of Freeport East, a set of low-tax, low-regulation zones given the green light in December 2021. The Range secured its plot in June 2022 and planning approval for the warehouse was granted in October that year - despite objectors including Creeting St Peter Parish Council. Parish councillors cited problems including traffic generation, lack of landscape details, noise problems and uncertainty over whether enough parking spaces are included in the plans. The Range moved into the 'mega-shed' in November 2023. In May last year, Mid Suffolk Council granted permission to add to the plot, which is the largest business park in East Anglia. The council and The Range were contacted for comments. In April, neighbours living in the 'warehouse capital of Britain' spoke of the nightmare of being forced to live in the shadow of massive buildings that they said is like being next to the 'Berlin Wall'. Northamptonshire has more storage and distribution centres than anywhere else in the country, with massive developments 'constantly' popping up. But homeowners in Corby had enough and said their lives have been ruined by the huge warehouses towering over their homes. They compared it to living next to the 'Berlin Wall' or in a 'prison camp'. Recruitment firm boss Georgie Wallis, 30, said: 'They have hit us with these legal bills despite a judge admitting the council were in the wrong' The town is home to dozens of industrial units including Europa's HQ and Nike's logistics campus, which is currently under construction. One 60ft high 'monster' warehouse - called Rockingham 161 - was even built without locals' knowledge due to a council error. The site of the former Weetabix plant still lies empty a year after being constructed, but looms over nearby homes in Hooke Close. Embarrassingly, council workers mistakenly consulted people living on the wrong road to ask for their thoughts on the enormous development. It was only when residents contacted the council to ask why they hadn't been informed that they found officials had mixed up the street with one half a mile away. Locals who opposed to the warehouse were recently refused a judicial review and even slapped with a £5,000 legal bill. This was despite a judge saying the council had 'fallen well below the standard expected' by failing to consult residents properly. Recruitment firm boss Georgie Wallis, 30, said: 'They have hit us with these legal bills despite a judge admitting the council were in the wrong. Mr Cruz said: 'We feel like we're living by the Berlin Wall, that's the most accurate way to describe it, and I don't even think the Berlin Wall was as big as this' 'It was because we didn't submit it on time, so on a technicality, really, I'm just exhausted with it all, but we will keep fighting. 'We have got to pay up this money while this giant eyesore lies empty - who knows what life will be like once people are in there with the pollution and traffic. 'I look out of my garden and all I can see is this big, grey and black daunting building which looms over our home.' Portuguese-born Jose Cruz, 65, and his wife Olga, 60, moved into their two-bedroom semi-detached home in 2011. He says they live constantly in a shadow and that the building blocks about 80 per cent of the sunlight into his home. Mr Cruz went on: said: 'Nobody wanted the warehouse here and nobody even consulted us about it, it has been a crazy situation from day one. 'We feel like we're living by the Berlin Wall, that's the most accurate way to describe it, and I don't even think the Berlin Wall was as big as this. 'I have lived in four different countries and I have never known anything like this. He says they live constantly in a shadow and that the building blocks about 80 per cent of the sunlight into his home 'The UK is not short of space - why erect these warehouses in between people's homes? It's just unbelievable. 'I'm afraid to have an estate agent round as who knows how much money has been wiped off the value of our property. 'It's terrible and we're very angry we weren't consulted about it. 'I just don't understand this country. The people here are the most wonderful but the one per cent making these decisions, I just do not get.' Council officers mistakenly consulted people living on Hubble Road instead of Hooke Close to ask their opinions about the massive 160,800 sq ft development. Another resident, who did not want to be named, said it felt like they were now living by 'a prison camp'. She added: 'It has just been horrifying, we have been left with this monstrous eyesore towering above us. 'They have planted some little trees but that's not going to make a difference. We feel like we're living by a prison camp. 'They are constantly being built in other areas too - the town is becoming a gigantic industrial estate. It's a daily nightmare.' Near to Magma Park where Europa's HQ and the Nike campus will be built, residents were also critical of the developments. One local, who did not want to be named, added: 'They are throwing up all these giant warehouses and loads of them just lie empty. 'You hear about redundancies being made instead, so who is going to fill them all? 'They are in the wrong place and I'm not sure they are even needed - it feels like there's more warehouses than residential areas.' Clare Bottle, chief executive of the UK Warehousing Association, said they were an 'important engine of growth in our supply chains.' She said: 'As supply chains become longer and face uncertainty due to world events, consumers and businesses alike are increasingly relying on warehouses to store and distribute the goods we need. 'Furthermore, activities which used to take place on the high street and in factories are being shifted into warehouse facilities, along with the processing of returns, recycling and even product repairs, which all underpin the circular economy.' A spokesperson for North Northamptonshire Council said at the time: 'Following the court's decision to refuse the claimant's application for judicial review on this case, the claimant then appealed the decision, and this appeal was then refused by the court in late March 2024. 'Due to the ongoing legal conversations around costs, it's not possible to comment any further at this stage.' However, for those thinking this can't get any worse, a real estate expert warned the UK will need around 2,000 football pitches worth of extra warehouse space in order to meet house-building targets and the growth of online retail, the BBC reports. Will Laing, a research analyst at Newmark Group, said: 'Given the government's target to build 1.5 million homes in the next five years, coupled with the continued shift to online retail, we estimate 150,000,000 sq ft (13,935,456 sq m) of extra warehousing will be needed over the next 10 years.'
BBC News
5 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Installation of footbridge at Stowmarket railway station delayed
Plans to construct a new footbridge at a railway station have been Anglia previously announced a £5.5m project to install a bridge at Stowmarket, bridge's modular structure, which features inbuilt lifts, was expected to be completed this Greater Anglia said it would now open before the end of the year because of "unforeseen delays in the manufacturing process". "This footbridge is the first of its kind and due to unforeseen delays in the manufacturing process for the lifts, the final installation of the footbridge has unfortunately been delayed," Greater Anglia said."As the footbridge can only be installed during a weekend in which there are engineering works on the route between Norwich and Ipswich, the footbridge will be installed at the next available opportunity which is in November. "The installation will be followed by a short period of on-site testing, and the footbridge is now expected to open before the end of 2025."The new bridge will be built of stainless steel which is long lasting and does not need to be painted. The old footbridge at Stowmarket station was replaced with a temporary one in January, and the only way to cross platforms at Stowmarket station without it at present is via a level station was closed on 17 and 18 May as Network Rail completed maintenance on the track between Norwich and Anglia said it used this closure to complete further preparation works for the bridge while drainage installations were received funding for accessibility improvements at the station under the government's Access for All Anglia's infrastructure and major projects director, Andrew Goodrum, said "good progress" had been made on preparations for the bridge's installation. "We are looking forward to delivering this revolutionary new footbridge, complete with lifts, for our customers," he added. Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
08-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Stowmarket solar farm decision delayed over local concerns
Plans for a major solar farm capable of powering close to 10,000 homes have been pushed back over local Suffolk councillors met to discuss plans for a new 35-hectare (86 acres) solar farm across several agricultural fields west of Blacksmiths Lane, in Earl Stonham, near Carbon Solar Park 27 Ltd, which submitted the bid in October 2023, said the 40-year scheme would have a 30-megawatt output – enough energy to power 9,642 homes every planning officers deemed the project acceptable, there was strong opposition to the plans with concerns over the location, and it was deferred for a risk assessment. The solar farm would be built alongside other infrastructure, including substations, inverters, CCTV and were submitted by 26 residents and Earl Stonham Parish Council, the Local Democracy Reporting Service Gillett, who spoke during the meeting as chairman of Earl Stonham Parish Council, said residents were not 'NIMBYs', but felt under siege from the application, as well as National Grid's plans for the Norwich to Tilbury pylon term NIMBY (not in my backyard) referred to residents objecting to projects being located too close to where they live while supporting similar bids elsewhere. Sam Dicks, the planning manager for the applicant, said there would not be any significant impacts and added the benefits of the development were "extensive".During the meeting, several councillors said although they were supportive of solar developments, they felt this plan would be too close to heritage assets and criticised the irregular and inefficient layout of the site, across several council's area planning manager also pointed out that the reasons for refusal would not be concrete and warned councillors about a big risk of losing the decision at voted five votes for and two against to defer the application for the time being, so a risk assessment could be prepared. Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
