ONE of the UK’s biggest retailers could take over a closed Aberystwyth store if Ceredigion County Council approves a plan to change the empty building’s use.

TK Maxx, Aldi, and Poundland have all expressed interest in taking on a large closed store on the Parc y Llyn retail park in Aberystwyth.

Retail park owners have applied to Ceredigion County Council to achieve a wider change of use for the former Carpetright building to allow a wider choice of businesses to take over the unused store.

Carpetright closed the store in 2019.

Documents said that the 10,018 sq ft building has a “restrictive bulk goods consent” and that without changing it to a wider retail business or gym use, “the unit is likely to remain unoccupied and vacant for a longer period of time due to the existing restrictive planning consent.”

Planning documents said that interest in the building has been received by national retailers TK Maxx, Poundland, Aldi and Farmfoods, as well as from gym operator Snap Fitness.

“None of these operators are capable of trading under the existing bulky good planning consent”, documents added, so a change of use would be needed “to meet their requirements.”

Documents said the building is the only one in town currently available “to meet the space requirement of these national retailers”.

TK Maxx or Poundland, if interest is taken up, would likely want to build full or partial mezzanine levels within the building “to increase the sales area.”

Aldi themselves have been embroiled in a long-running planning battle with the Welsh Government over plans to build a store of its own on the former Kwik Save and Cambrian Garages site on Park Avenue.

Ministers refused those plans over flooding fears despite the backing of Ceredigion County Council.

Owners in documents said: “The proposed variation of condition will allow certain interested retailers who cannot meet the existing bulk goods restriction to occupy the unit while not materially impacting the vitality and viability of the town centre.

“Moreover, this proposal will make best use of existing retail floor space and support wider proposals for investment into the retail park to enhance and modernise its offer to the community.”