HUNDREDS of Southampton residents examined plans for a fifth city Lidl store.

As reported in yesterday’s Daily Echo, the German supermarket chain has announced plans to build a new shop off Bassett Avenue, with the site currently home to car dealership Inchcape Jaguar Land Rover.

A public consultation was held at St Mark’s Church yesterday, with residents voicing their hopes and fears for what the new store could bring.

Lidl staff at the consultation said that overall, they believed the response from residents was positive.

Graham Linecar, who lives near Southampton Common, said he was still on the fence about the prospect of the new store.

He said: “I have lived near this site for 13 years and I still don’t know about it.

“The traffic aspect is what concerns me the most, but then it brings a bit more variety for shopping to this area, and that’s a huge positive.”

Others voiced concerns about the volume of traffic that would be brought in to the area on top of that currently using The Avenue.

Marcia Baker, 65, lives on nearby Cromwell Road.

She said: “They say that as one car goes in, another will leave and in that sense the traffic won’t move, but what about peak times?

“I don’t like the plans to be honest, they need to add a bit more greenery into it as well. Southampton is a green city.”

One resident, Luke Hoptroff, used to be a student in the city and now works in Southampton, and also lives on Berkeley Road.

Luke, 23, said: “I think in principle, five stores in the city for Lidl may be slightly overdoing it, but having looked at the plans, I can definitely see the positives.

“There are a few supermarkets nearby, but Lidl is very different.

“It would ultimately save me money I’m sure.”

Lidl’s plans include the demolition of the Jaguar showroom and car wash and replacement with a modern store and car park. If approved, it will add to the stores in the High Street, Woolston, Shirley and Thornhill.