5 still under investigation for Newton Abbot fire

Work has now begun to build a supermarket at the site

The budget supermarket giant’s application plans, which also include additional land to be developed for small business units being handed over free of charge to Teignbridge District Council, were approved by council planners in February.

Just days before demolition work on the site of the historic Carriage and Wagon Repair Shop building in Brunel Road was due to take place in October, a devastating fire burned the building to the ground.

Three 15-year-old boys and two 14-year-old boys were arrested on suspicion of arson with intent, and have since been released under investigation pending further enquiries. A Devon and Cornwall Police spokesman confirmed to the Local Democracy Reporting Service today that investigations were ongoing and there had been no update to proceedings.

Diggers have since made their way onto the site to start construction of the supermarket, while signs announcing that an Aldi is coming soon have been erected on the hoardings in Brunel Road.

No date for when the Aldi store is set to open has been revealed, but documents submitted with the premises licence for the supermarket reveal that it won’t be before July.

The licence application is for the supply of alcohol, Monday to Sunday, 7am to 11pm, and would date from July 1, 2019, meaning that the store would not open prior to that date.

A spokesman for Aldi said: “Unfortunately we don’t have any detail at the moment regarding the Aldi store opening in Newton Abbot as this one is quite far out.”

They had previously said in February 2018 after planning permission was granted that they aimed to have the store open in spring 2019.

Around 50 jobs will be created when the new store opens. The scheme that would see the proposed outlet will be comprised of a 1,140 sq m (net) foodstore with 99 car parking spaces, as well as small units for employment.

Teignbridge District Council have previously said that this land for employment units will only be handed over to the council after completion of the new store, so they do not anticipate that the fire will have any impact on that handover.

Anyone wishing to comment on the premises licence application must do so by Tuesday, February 5.