Hundreds of people packed out Tarporley Community Centre for a public consultation on plans to build an Aldi superstore in the village.

Members of the project team who have put forward bespoke proposals to build the supermarket just off Tarporley High Street met with residents who could ask questions and get feedback on their concerns about the development, which promises to reflect the unique character of the village and create up to 50 new jobs.

There was a healthy turnout to the consultation, where one of the main issues raised was traffic congestion. There have long been traffic issues on the high street and concerns were raised about traffic management if the store got the green light, as well as the congestion that would come from being situated so close to Tarporley Church of England Primary School.

Related: Should Aldi come to Tarporley?

Others expressed their worries about the effect Aldi might have on local businesses and independent shops.

But in general, the views have been fairly mixed, with a 50% of people saying they thought Aldi in Tarporley would be ‘a terrible idea’ and 47% saying they were in favour of it.

An artist's impression of the new Aldi in Tarporley

And many have taken to the Tarporley Facebook page to express their opinions.

Mark Sharkey wrote: “If it goes ahead, the community parking should be at the front of the store rather than the back. It would be a minor matter for cars visiting the store, to park a bit further in. However, the extra distance to walk into the town would mean that a lot of people would not use the parking, if visiting the Co-op or Spar for instance.”

Rudy Miller said: “I love my Aldi and Lidl shopping - great value. Would be a great asset for Tarporley,” while Julie McDougall wrote: “I am not against change but why choose to live in a village if you want the facilities you would find in a town?

“I have managed very nicely without having a large supermarket in the village and don’t consider it high on my list of priorities.”

The new store would be a multi-million-pound investment and would include free customer car parking, a new community car park and attractive landscaping incorporated into the scheme, which it is said will enhance the appearance of the site.

Feedback from Monday night’s meeting will be available on Aldi’s website at www.aldiconsultation.co.uk/tarporley/ in the next few days.

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