DISCOUNT retailers could be set to move into a Hampshire community, creating up to 70 new jobs.

Plans will go before councillors that would pave the way for a new Aldi supermarket and Poundstretcher store in Chandler’s Ford.

But concern has been raised about how this could draw trade away from Eastleigh town centre.

B&Q Properties has applied to Eastleigh Borough Council to divide a vacant unit on the Chestnut Avenue Retail Park.

The move, if approved, would create up to 70 new full and part-time jobs and see a local investment of more than £2.3 million.

The unit, which sits next to the Dreams and American Golf stores, was occupied by Homebase until November 2013.

The retail park, off Chestnut Avenue, is close to the Asda superstore and B&Q headquarters.

Under the proposal the building would be refurbished with new cladding, new entrance doors and canopies, along with a new parking layout.

By partial demolition of the existing garden centre parking spaces will increase from 197 to 207.

The plans include removing restrictions on the range of goods that could be sold there put in place to protect other shopping areas when the retail park opened in 1987.

A letter from nearby residents raises concerns, asking how food waste would be stored and disposed of in relation to potentially attracting vermin and parking issues in local roads if the car park was full.

Developers have submitted an assessment on the impact on other retailers which identifies that Asda trade would be affected and the stores could also draw trade away from Eastleigh’s town centre Lidl store, but this was not judged to be “excessively harmful”.

Overall, it concluded that the new stores would not significantly adversely impact existing shopping areas, predicting that the impact on Eastleigh town centre would be a two per cent drop in retail turnover.

The council’s report says, despite concerns about the possible impact on Eastleigh town centre, B&Q had shown there were not any preferable sites suitable and council planning bosses said it would be difficult to defend the proposal on appeal.

If approved developers would give £50,000 to offset the impact on the town centre.

Developers say the scheme would rejuvenate a tired looking retail park, fill an empty unit and bring jobs.

Opposition leader Conservative Cllr Godfrey Olson said: “I keep worrying about the effect these outside retail outlets are having on the town centre.

“Where they have got free parking then people will go there rather than going into town.”

He welcomed more jobs but wanted to see a more coordinated approach to make sure retailers came into the town centre.

The plans are being recommended for approval when they come before councillors tomorrow at the Eastleigh Local Area Committee at Eastleigh House at 7pm.