Plans to build a new Aldi supermarket on the King’s Road car park site have finally been submitted to Canterbury City Council, paving the way for the £50 million regeneration of Herne Bay.

Coplan Estates, the regeneration experts behind the project, say the application was submitted on Tuesday this week, eight months after it was first announced in October last year.

They had to wait while the Saturday market was moved into its new home in Mortimer Street and William Street.

Coplan Estates director Colin McQueston said: “I’m delighted we have now reached this point. This has taken a long time to get to.

“We are now hoping for a planning decision by the end of August. We can then target phase one to begin by the end of this year.”

The first phase of the regeneration masterplan will be to build the Aldi supermarket in King’s Road, to become the anchor for the second phase to redevelop the William Street car park.

Coplan hope to build a new town centre plaza with major high street chains opening in the new shops and cafes.

Mr McQueston added: “We are now working on phase two. We hope to submit a planning application in six to eight months time.”

Plans for the regeneration project first emerged in October 2010, with the council pinning its hopes on Morrisons expanding onto the King’s Road site.

It hit a setback when Morrison’s withdrew from the plans. Aldi then stepped in to keep the project alive in October 2013.

But last month fears were raised by community campaigner Phil Rose when workmen were seen carrying out tests on the soil below the car park. The site used to be a gas works, so there were fears Aldi might pull out.

Coplan and Aldi denied that there were problems, and added that the workmen were carrying out tests for the future foundations of the store.

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