PLANS for a new Aldi in Highworth are one step closer to becoming reality after the town’s councillors recommended that the supermarket’s proposals should be accepted.

Representatives from the retailer attended a Highworth Town Council planning meeting on Tuesday night to discuss the plans and address any concerns the councillors had.

The new branch would be built on land north of the Blackworth Industrial Estate, with parking and landscaping work also carried out to allow vehicles and pedestrians access to the shop.

Rob Jones, Aldi property director for South-Central England, said: “This is a multi-million pound investment which could create up to 40 jobs.

“It would act as a neighbourhood food store and complement the independent businesses in the town centre with minimal impact on them because our stores don’t have a fishmonger or a butcher.”

Rob Reeves, Aldi’s highways consultant, explained that after analysing the nearby roads and roundabouts, they’ve come up with a system where pedestrians could be picked up from an existing bus stop and brought through the industrial estate to the store.

Comments from members of the public have been uploaded to the Aldi application on the Swindon Borough Council website, with 200 supporting it and one objecting to it.

One resident who lives near the site emailed councillors to suggest that the noise assessment was flawed as it didn’t consider the beeping from reversing service vehicles and other noises.

He also claimed that the assessment was conducted when construction work was being carried out nearby, making the background noise levels higher than usual.

The email was read out by Coun Alan Bishop.

It said: “I have no objection to the store in general but the noise will have a significant effect on our property.

“It’s inconceivable that the application be allowed to proceed without taking measures to alleviate the noise.”

Coun Bishop suggested that the noise issue should be investigated and the representatives agreed to carry out another assessment if necessary.

The full application for the new Aldi (reference number S/17/1771) was recommended for approval on the condition that improvements are made to the existing footpath into the estate.

An outline application for erecting buildings for employment use with new vehicular and pedestrian access (reference number S/OUT/17/1772) was also recommended for approval.

Both applications will now be discussed at a Swindon Borough Council planning meeting before the final decision is made.