An application to build a new food store on Ipswich's Anglia Retail Park could be submitted within a few weeks - after it emerged that Aldi is not currently trying to sell its Meredith Road store.

The company has confirmed that the future of the store is "under review" and its future will be decided after senior bosses see how successfully it is trading following the opening of the company's new store in Europa Way, off Sproughton Road.

But, at present, the Meredith Road store is not on the market - even though it was being offered for sale by a Cambridge-based commercial estate agent last year.

Ipswich Star: Aldi's Meredith Road store attracts many shoppers on foot from the nearby Whitton estate.Aldi's Meredith Road store attracts many shoppers on foot from the nearby Whitton estate. (Image: Archant)

Over the last few months, there have been two offers to buy the store - but both have been rejected because Aldi was waiting to see what trading is like once it has two stores within a couple of miles of each other.

Those rejections have opened the way for council-owned Ipswich Borough Assets and an unnamed discount supermarket to reconsider plans for a new store on ARP, which is very near the A14 and opposite the town's largest Asda superstore.

If the Meredith Road site had been empty, it would have been almost impossible to get planning permission for it - but complex planning rules mean that, if there are other stores nearby, it is easier to make a case for the new store.

The supermarket is now reconsidering its options and it is possible an application could be made in the spring.

Ipswich Star: Aldi's new Europa Way store is due to open in April.Aldi's new Europa Way store is due to open in April. (Image: Aldi)

A spokeswoman for Aldi said: “Construction for our new store in Ipswich on Europa Way is progressing well as we move towards opening in April this year. This will create up to 40 jobs for the community.”

The company is reviewing its options for Meredith Road and will see how the two stores operate alongside each other.

Parking at Meredith Road is tight and it is smaller than the store being built on Europa Way - but it is close to many homes on the Whitton estate and attracts many customers who do not drive. Europa Way is nearly two miles away from that site and there are no direct bus links between the areas.