German retail giant Aldi has upset victims of last summer's floods after appealing against a decision to refuse it planning permission on the Oxford flood plain.

Residents who live in flood affected properties hit out after the retailer challenged Oxford City Council's decision to reject its plans for a 1,731sq metre supermarket at the Botley Road retail park.

Nick Hills, 59, whose home in nearby Earl Street, has been flooded three times since 2000, said: "With a street full of skips, trade vans and the general detritus of ongoing building work in most of the houses on Earl Street, we are being faced with yet another potential threat to our flood security.

"Local residents are already suffering from months of anxiety and need reassurance that any further development will not make matters worse."

Planning permission was refused for the supermarket on a plot to the west of Toys 'R' Us in May 2007 because the site is in an Environment Agency-recognised flood zone.

It was also feared the development would generate excessive amounts of traffic on the already congested Botley Road.

Permission was granted for an 895sq metre non-food store on the site in 1998 but the Environment Agency said Aldi's larger plans could increase the risk of flooding.

A two-day public inquiry will start on April 10.

Jarlath Brine, 43, whose garden in Botley Road flooded last year, said: "It's bad news for West Oxford. Inevitably this will have an adverse impact on the flood risk."

"If anything is allowed to go through, Aldi should pay significant costs towards remedial work to alleviate the flood risk which could run into hundreds of thousands of pounds."

"Aldi's plans could also mean a very busy road being log-jammed."

Ann Furtado, 54, of Duke Street, who supports Aldi's plan, said: "Other than the Co-op in Botley we have to drive a long way to get to another supermarket.

"Flood risk is a concern but there are already so many other stores there."

Residents have until February 25 to make their views known about the plans.

They should write to: The Planning Inspectorate, Room 3/20 Eagle Wing, Temple Quay House, 2 The Square, Temple Quay, Bristol, BS1 6PN, quoting reference APP/G3110/A/07/2046455/Nfive WF