OXFORDSHIRE County Council has objected to plans for a new supermarket over fears about traffic, with a decision due in mid-March.

The council have raised a number of transport concerns to Lidl’s plans to build a 2,100sqm store on land to the east of Grove Road, in Grove.

Responding to the proposals on behalf of the county council, Senior Planner Lynette Hughes wrote: “The key concerns of Grove Parish Council and Wantage Town Council relate to transport. This application does not include satisfactory proposals for access from the A338, or satisfactory proposals for pedestrians and cyclists.

“Amendments to the application would be required to address these matters.”

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The county council have said the key issues for Vale of White Horse District Council to consider over the development are the access junction; provision of facilities for pedestrians and cyclists; public transport; travel planning; sustainable drainage of the site and construction traffic management.

Grove Parish Council raised similar objections and Wantage Town Council requested ‘projected traffic modelling’ be undertaken.

Wantage MP Ed Vaizey has welcomed more choice for shoppers but is among those who have already warned about traffic concerns and the ‘merging’ Wantage and Grove.

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Wantage and Grove Campaign Group campaign manager Julie Mabberley has said the store would ‘fill the final gap between Wantage and Grove’ - dubbing the area ‘Wansgrove’.

Local businesses have also raised concerns about being undercut and motorists are worries about its impact on congestion.

But the reaction from the rest of the community has been largely positive and local councillors have welcomed the proposals.

If approved, the budget retailer would provide competition for the Co-op and Tesco Express in Grove and the Waitrose and Sainsbury’s stores in Wantage, while 40 new jobs are expected to be created.

The proposals include 128 free car parking spaces and bike storage.

Opening hours would be 8am to 10pm Monday to Saturday and 10am to 4pm Sunday.

The target decision date is March 14.

Lidl opened a new store in Wallingford last week, which saw shoppers queueing to get in from 8.30am.