The German retail giant had been refused planning permission to build a new store in March but appealed the decision.
The new store will be located in Newpark, across the road from Our Lady Help of Christians Catholic Church.
It will consist of 1,908 square metres of floor area and will be served by 112 car parking spaces, including seven disabled bays, ninefamily bays, four electric vehicle bays and 18 cycle spaces.
Local parish priest, Fr Dermot Meehan, and former county councillor and former publican, Joe Mellett, were among seven people who lodged formal submissions opposing the development.
In his submission, Fr Meehan raised concerns about the increased traffic from customers and deliveries, as well as the potentially negative impact of on-street parking during church services.
Mr Mellett said while development in Swinford was to be welcomed, the new store would “have a detrimental effect on the few business outlets that remain trading in what was once a thriving and vibrant town.”
“Aldi are not coming because they like us. They come because of the opportunity it gives them to grow their market share,” said Mr Mellett, who ran Mellett’s Emporium for several decades and is a former Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council.Refusing planning permission for the development in March, the Council said it would have an adverse impact on the ‘vitality, viability and attractiveness of the existing traditional town centre of Swinford’ and would result in ‘an over-concentration of retail development, both convenience and comparison in this area of Swinford town’. Council planners also said that the increase in HGV traffic could endanger public safety.
The new Aldi store will be located close to a Tesco supermarket which opened in 2010.
Michelle Howie, another party who lodged a submission against the new Aldi store, claimed that eight small retailers in Swinford had closed since Tesco opened there.
In overturning Mayo County Council’s decision, An Coimisiún Pleanála (formerly known as An Bord Pleanála) said it would be an ‘appropriate form of development’ for land that was zoned as ‘Town Centre’.
Their report, which approved the development with a number of conditions, said the new development “would not adversely impact upon the built heritage of the area or the amenities of the properties in the vicinity, would not undermine the Town Centre or retail future of Swinford and would, therefore, be in accordance with the proper planning and sustainable development of the area”.
An Coimisiún Pleanála attached 22 conditions to the development, primarily to preserve and maintain the visual amenity of the area.
Among these was a condition that 10pc of the car parking spaces contain electric vehicle charging points.
When opened, it will be Aldi’s seventh Mayo store. The discount retailer currently operates stores in Ballina, Ballinrobe, Ballyhaunis, Belmullet, Castlebar and Claremorris. Aldi currently has 164 stores in Ireland and plans to open more in the coming years.