PLANS for a new Aldi supermarket in Southampton have been turned down by planning chiefs.

The proposed new store in Millbrook would have created 35 new jobs while the complex would have provided a new home for a long-standing city business.

But the developer must now go back to the drawing board after failing to demonstrate it would not cause congestion and highway safety issues.

The plans for the site in Oakley Road, pictured below) which is a short walk away from the Tesco superstore in Tebourba Way, were filed with the council this summer.

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The German supermarket giant is currently undergoing a period of increasing popularity and expansion in the UK, where it now has 500 stores.

The Daily Echo understands it has been looking at city sites to add to its one outlet in Bevois Valley for more than 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.

It is currently occupied by a number of firms including Travis Perkins-owned City Plumbing and Benchmarx Kitchens and Joinery, and they would have formed part of the development in new buildings.

However, the proposals have been rejected by city council planners, who have listed seven reasons for turning it down.

One of them was its potential impact on transport in the area, with council officers saying it lacked an assessment of transport, while it “failed to demonstrate that harm to highways safety and traffic congestion will not result from the development”.

They also said not enough information had been provided about the ecology and flood risk at the site ans well as other aspects.

Millbrook Conservative councillor Steven Galton said: “I think there’s definitely some scope for something that is acceptable on that site. As long as the concerns over traffic, as there could be a massive increase, and the impact on residents of its noise and operation are dealt with there is a future for this use on the site.”

“There will be road improvements needed on the junction though.”

Labour ward councillor David Furnell added: “I can’t say that I am for or against it but I am surprised they are thinking of that site.”

The site owner and Aldi both declined to comment.