The budget retailer Aldi is set to come to Abingdon as plans for the supermarket get unanimously approved by councillors.

In a Vale of White Horse District Council meeting last week, councillors approved plans for an Aldi on Wootton Road after 290 residents wrote in to support the plans.

Previous objections to the budget supermarket included concerns over the location of the shop and a suggestion to look at locating it at Fairacre's retail park off Marcham Road.

Oxfordshire Cycling Network said the proposal does not encourage sustainable transport and that it should encourage cycling and walking rather than driving.

Mr Alan Williams a planning agent for Aldi, said the new supermarket would reduce the need for those living near Wootton Road to travel further afield to do their shopping. He also explained that Fairacre’s retail park was considered as a possible location for the new Aldi, but there was no suitable or available unit.

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He added: " Aldi will provide 40 job opportunities for the local community of varying levels with a mix of full and part-time positions."

The Aldi is planned near a new 200-home development, and in December 2020, a petition was created against the supermarket plans.

The petition stated: "Around the Wootton road area of Abingdon there is a new housing estate being built and now an Aldi and more houses are proposed. This is destroying our local environment and no matter how carbon neutral this site will be, this will result in loss of habitat and damage to the environment that’s already there."

It added: "We don’t need another store and more housing. All I’m asking is can we make room for the environment and local wildlife."

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However, there has also been support for the new Aldi from Abingdon residents.

Councillor Eric De La Harpe said the new supermarket will be especially convenient for residents moving into the new development. He said: "The site will be in walking distance for some Abingdon residents who do not currently have retail facilities within walking distance."

Councillor Mike Pighills supported the plans for a new Aldi, however, in the meeting he said he wanted to make sure sufficient cycle paths and footpaths were also part of the plans.

He said: "We need to weed something in about securing the right building blocks for a north south cycle way."

Councillor Janet Shelly said: "The only disappointing part of this application is the fact that there are no solar PV's on the store. But, the fact that 290 local residents wrote in to support this application is very good."

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