MALMESBURY is in support of a Lidl supermarket coming to the town, but has concerns about the location proposed for the new store.

The planning and environment committee of Malmesbury Town Council met on Tuesday evening to discuss the plans, and is in favour of a Lidl being built in Malmesbury, but highlighted concerns about the proposal in its current state, raised objections to the application, and stated that it is controversial.

The new store, if approved by Wiltshire Council, would be east of the A429 Malmesbury bypass, opposite Waitrose.

Cllr John Gundry, chairing the meeting, said: “In principal, we would support a Lidl for Malmesbury, but we must object to the current proposal on the grounds of access to the location. In addition the retail impact is unclear, therefore the implication on the Malmesbury Neighbourhood Plan is unclear. We need to see some S106 and the concern about the loss of the landscape.”

Mayor, Cllr Wayne Jones noted serious concerns regarding access to the proposed location, with the road currently being a 60mph limit.

He said: “It isn’t in the wrong place, I have concerns about how we would get access to the site.

“I would support it on the basis that they provide adequate road safety measures to enable that site to be viable.”

Cllr Kim Power added: “I think there is a real feeling that we do want Lidl in Malmesbury but the issues are location, the roads and the effect on the high street.”

Cllr Gundry also suggested that land by the Malmesbury Garden Centre would be more appropriate.

During public participation, some residents said they would like to see Lidl in the town to offer more variety, but were concerned about road safety at the site for pedestrians and cyclists.

A spokesman for Lidl explained that 502 comments had been received, with hundreds yet to be added to the Wiltshire Council portal. These included 152 in objection, and 350 in support of the application.