Aldi is pressing ahead with a £7 million plan to revive Bracknell's derelict Homebase site, saying it would turn a vandalised eyesore into a busy, budget supermarket hub.
The proposal would split the long‑vacant building into two retail units, including a new Aldi with a rear extension, plus upgraded parking and landscaping. The old Homebase sign has been removed; the site has stood empty since March last year and been hit by graffiti and smashed glass.
The chain says the store alone would create around 40 new local jobs, all on industry‑leading pay rates above the National Living Wage, with extra roles tied to the second unit. Lee McCandless, real estate director at Aldi UK, said: "This is a £7 million investment that would bring a vacant site back into use, create well‑paid local jobs and significantly improve choice for shoppers in Bracknell."
Residents backing the plans say a walkable Aldi would smarten the area, cut car journeys, ease parking at Birch Hill and widen shopping choice at a time when many households are watching every weekly shop.
Aldi is visibly pressing ahead on the ground, and the stripped‑back frontage at the former Homebase adds pressure on planners to allow the site to be reborn as Bracknell's next discount supermarket destination.
Ted O'Neill, Local Democracy Reporter
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