Construction has begun on a new Aldi store in Epsom, more than a decade after the supermarket first attempted to redevelop the site.
Work began on Tuesday (February 2) on the former Dairy Crest site, which closed back in 2013, in Alexandra Road.
Aldi first submitted plans to develop the former site in 2015, proposing a mixed-use scheme with a food store at ground level and residential flats above.
However, the application was refused by Epsom and Ewell Borough Council and later dismissed at appeal in 2017, with a planning inspector raising concerns about the scale of the building and its impact on the character of the surrounding area.
Following the refusal, the site remained unused.
The former Dairy Crest buildings were demolished in 2017 after Aldi purchased the freehold, leaving the cleared brownfield land vacant for almost a decade.
After several years of redesign and reassessment, Aldi brought forward a revised proposal for a standalone supermarket, removing the residential element entirely and reducing the overall scale and mass of the building.
Planning permission for the new scheme was granted last year.
In a letter sent to residents on January 23, Aldi confirmed that construction would begin in early February.
The company said piling works are expected to start in late February or early March, with associated highways works to follow, supported by traffic management measures.
There will be 66 car park spaces, including four blue badge bays, three parent-and-child spaces and electric vehicle charging points, with the potential for additional chargers in the future.
The supermarket chain says the £5 million development will regenerate a disused site close to Epsom town centre, improve shopping choice and reduce the need for longer car journeys by allowing more residents to shop locally.
Once open, the store is expected to create up to 40 to 50 new permanent jobs, paid above the National Living Wage, with additional employment opportunities during the construction phase and across the supply chain.
Some elements of the construction process, particularly piling and road works, are expected to be noticeable to nearby residents.
Aldi said it is committed to minimising disruption and will operate in line with conditions agreed with the council.
The new store will become Aldi’s second in the borough, following the opening of its Ewell branch, and forms part of the company’s wider investment programme across Surrey.
The new Aldi store is expected to open in late October 2026.
