German retailer Lidl has been given planning permission to build its ninth supermarket in the county.
Aldi opened in Didcot in 2015 and has a supermarket at the Jubilee Way roundabout but shoppers in the town have had to wait over a decade for Lidl to follow.
READ MORE: New supermarket will give shoppers more choice
South Oxfordshire District Council backed plans in June for the new discount supermarket in June and construction work is due to get under way.
A neighbouring storage facility is planned for the same site, with some residents spotting activity and fearing the new Lidl would not be going ahead.
Didcot West county councillor Ian Snowdon (Image: Oxford Mail)
But Didcot West county councillor Ian Snowdon has reassured residents that the Lidl supermarket is going ahead and he is hopeful that it will open in 2027.
Mr Snowdon said: “Now that planning permission has been granted I think we will see the new Lidl in Didcot open in about a year – I expect it to open by 2027.
“I welcome Lidl coming to Didcot. I’ve consistently raised concerns about the traffic impact, but it would be unfair to keep delaying this investment while we wait for Oxfordshire County Council to finally deliver the Northern Perimeter Road 3.
With Tesco, B&M, Lidl and Aldi all within around 200 yards, alongside Asda, M&S and Sainsbury’s, residents will have greater choice and competition to suit every budget.
An artist’s impression of the new Lidl for Didcot (Image: Contributed)
“It’s positive news for Didcot – but our infrastructure desperately needs to catch up.”
Mr Snowdon pointed out that shoppers who favour discount supermarkets will have a “short walk” under Marsh Bridge to get from Aldi to Lidl.
“It won’t be far at all to walk between Aldi and Lidl and it’s probably better to walk if you can to avoid congestion,” Mr Snowdon added. “B&M is also nearby.”
Mr Snowdon said signs for Cactus Storage at the site designated for the supermarket had confused some residents.
He added: ““I know some residents were concerned after seeing signs for Cactus Storage appear on the site, but I can reassure them that Lidl hasn’t disappeared – the approved plans are for both the new food store and self-storage units to share the site.”
Didcot Town Council previously objected to the scheme, on the grounds of a lack of flood risk mitigation measures, along with the county council who said there was “insufficient information”.
The town council noted there are “several flooding incidents in the area, especially when the Marsh Bridge water pumps fail”.
But in a report by planning officers granting permission to the supermarket, those issues were addressed by Lidl.
Lidl said earlier its proposals for the Didcot supermarket would deliver about 40 full-time jobs as well as further employment during the construction phase.
No official opening date has been given by the retailer.
A spokesman said: “We’ve seen demand for our affordable, high-quality products continue to rise in Oxfordshire, and we are committed to serving more communities in the area.
“Our new store will create around 40 new jobs and build on our continued growth.
“We’re excited to be a step closer to opening this store and thank everyone who has supported us on our journey so far.”
It also said the £12m investment would support residents in thousands of new homes in the town.
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