SHOPPERS in Chipping Norton can look forward to shopping in a new discount supermarket after plans for an Aldi store were given the thumbs up.

West Oxfordshire District Council's Uplands Planning Committee gave the green light to the new supermarket and change of use of the former Highways Depot site at Cromwell Business Park, off Banbury Road, at a meeting yesterday (Tuesday).

Members agreed to the planning officers recommendation for approval, subject to a legal agreement and a list of conditions.

The plans have attracted widespread support from the town with 353 letters and cards in favour of the application, along with a further 25 supporting the amended plans.

Mayor Mike Tysoe said it was great news.

"We all think it is except for a few luddites," he said. "Somewhere between 70 and 90 per cent of the town want it. At the moment a lot of people go from Chippy to Banbury to shop at Aldi. We know it happens.

"I think people will come from out of town to Chippy to shop rather than go to Banbury. It will also make the Co-op and Sainsburys more reasonable when it comes to prices. There will be proper competition."

Cllr Tysoe added the new supermarket would mean the piece of land, which has been redundant for two decades, will be in use again.

And he hoped the new shop would not have too much of an impact on existing businesses.

"It's a small discount supermarket, it doesn't sell newspapers or gift cards," he said. "It will be a benefit to the town."

The new single-storey store will provide 20 full time jobs and 76 car parking spaces.