German retailer Aldi’s plans for a supermarket off Horspath Driftway in Oxford have been approved by council bosses.
The store, which will see the conversion of a Currys store on the site just off the eastern bypass, will create up to 50 jobs.
It will the company’s second store in the city after its supermarket in Botley Road was opened in 2009.
Oxford City Council approved the plans on February 26 after an application was submitted in December. The Horspath Driftway site is also home to a Homebase store.
Pat Kennedy, city councillor for Lye Valley, said: “Residents in my ward are excited about the idea of having a new Aldi on that site.
“There are, of course, concerns with traffic congestion there as it will be just off the A40 Eastern-Bypass with the store just off a very busy junction.”
Lye Valley residents’ current closest supermarkets are Sainsbury’s store at Temple Cowley, Sainsbury’s superstore off Heyford Hill roundabout and Tesco at Oxford Retail Park.
Cllr Kennedy was pleased the new store would offer residents more choice, saying: “It opens up another opportunity for people in the area as there will be a budget store within walking distance for a lot of them.”
She said residents had spoken in favour of the company’s stores and had received leaflets in the post advertising jobs at the new store.
An Aldi spokesperson said: “We are looking forward to opening our new Oxford store.
“Now that planning consent has been granted, we are finalising plans to start work and hope to be open as soon as possible, creating new jobs and making it easy for local residents to shop and save closer to home. We encourage local people to apply.”
