THIRTY five jobs could be created at a new budget supermarket in Southampton.

The Daily Echo can reveal that a new Aldi store could be built in the city after plans were filed with the city council.

The proposals for the site in Oakley Road, Millbrook – just yards away from a Tesco superstore – also contain plans for a new builders merchants, meaning more than 40 jobs could be created on the site.

It comes at a time when the German budget supermarket chain has enjoyed recent success in the UK and was one of only three supermarket firms – alongside Lidl and Waitrose – to record sales increases in the first half of this year.

The company now has more than 9,000 stores across the world, 500 in this country.

It is understood the company has been looking to add to its one existing Southampton store, in Bevois Valley, and has been looking at sites in the city for at least a year.

The current buildings at the Oakley Road site, known as Atlantic Works, were originally built as a mill and then turned into paint and sealocrete factories.

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It is currently occupied by a number of firms including Travis Perkins-owned City Plumbing and Benchmarx Kitchens and Joinery, and the Daily Echo has now been told the firms would potentially form part of the new development.

If the proposals filed with the council are given the green light, the existing Atlantic Works buildings would be knocked down to make way for two new buildings.

 

Millbrook Conservative councillor Steven Galton is seeking talks with the developer to discuss concerns over certain aspects.

He said: “I think there would be a significant increase in traffic to and from the site and I have concerns over increased noise and movements of vehicles which could have an impact on residents.”

And Labour ward councillor David Furnell said: "I am a bit surprised they want to build a supermarket there because there's the Tesco store there and other shops are near too.

"I can't really say that I am for or against it but I am surprised they are thinking of that site."

Aldi declined to comment when approached by the Daily Echo.

A spokesman for Travis Perkins, which owns City Plumbing and Benchmarx, said: “We have no plans to move our current branches of City Plumbing Supplies and Benchmarx from the Atlantic Works site.

"Plans for the site are yet to be finalised, but we are working with our landlord and other prospective businesses to create this potentially exciting new development.”