BUDGET supermarket Aldi wants to open two new stores in Bradford and seven on the edges of the district.

It comes as the firm has announced it is on the lookout for 20 new store location across West Yorkshire.

The UK’s fifth largest supermarket has been on an expansion drive in recent years, opening around one new store a week on average to meet demand from new customers.

The areas in West Yorkshire where it is currently now looking for sites include Otley, Wakefield and Leeds.

But its full list of target locations includes South Bradford and Queensbury, as well as Brighouse, Burley-in-Wharfedale, Drighlington, Heckmondwike, Horsforth, Otley and Pudsey.

This brings the total of potential new stores in the Bradford district and surrounding areas to nine.

Other locations include Wakefield, West Park in Leeds, Garforth and Thorpe Park, Roundhay and Moortown, Horbury and Ossett, Sowerby Bridge, North Halifax, South Halifax, Normanton, Mirfield, and Knottingley.

Aldi, which now has more than 900 stores across the UK, is looking for freehold town-centre or edge-of-centre sites suitable for development.

It says each site should be around 1.5 acres and able to accommodate a 20,000 sq ft store with around 100 parking spaces, ideally on a prominent main road and with good visibility and access.

Ciaran Aldridge, national property director at Aldi UK, said: “We have been investing in Britain for more than 30 years now, but we know that there are still areas that either do not have an Aldi at all, or that need another store to meet customer demand.

“Shoppers are increasingly looking to get unbeatable prices on their weekly shop without compromising on quality. That’s why, more so than ever, we’re keen to explore all opportunities to open new stores across the country.”

The firm received planning permission earlier this year to build a new store in Keighley town centre, and is currently seeking planning permission for a new store on Bradford Road in Cleckheaton.

It has also recently refurbished its existing stores in Idle and Bingley.