Plans to build a new Aldi supermarket on a former car showroom site in Thames Ditton have been approved despite concerns about traffic and the impact on the surrounding area.

Elmbridge Borough Council's planning committee voted to grant permission for the food store at 47 Portsmouth Road, clearing the way for a £7m investment in the village. Councillors tried to reject the scheme at the meeting on March 10 but did not get the majority to support them.

The scheme will see the existing buildings on the site (previously used as the Guy Salmon car showroom and now operating as a car wash and used car sales area) demolished and replaced with a purpose-built supermarket. The proposed store will include 48 car parking spaces, cycle parking, landscaping and a new pedestrian crossing. The building will be mainly single storey and finished in red-brown brick, with a 'green wall' and native hedging along the rear boundary.

In the end, the majority of councillors backed the revised plans, arguing Aldi had addressed earlier concerns. Cllr Nick Dodds said Thames Ditton was more of an "urban area", adding: "I would respectfully struggle to call this a village."

However, the controversial plans split the community with around 380 objections to the plans while over 470 people supported the scheme. Several councillors raised concerns that the development would increase traffic and change the character of the area.

Cllr Caroline James said the application felt like "deja vu", referring to the previous scheme refused by the council and dismissed on appeal. "This is about the land, not the brand," she said. The ward councillor claimed there is no need for another store and there are a range of stores nearby for residents.

Other councillors echoed concerns about the level of activity the supermarket would bring. Cllr Neil Houston said the issue was "not simply the building itself but the level of activity that this introduces", warning it could "urbanise the local area".

Cllr Janet Turner also objected, saying the development would be "very damaging to our local villages". She said: "When people move here they decide what sort of life they want […] Do you want a small village with local traders or a large town with supermarkets?"

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Cllr Laurence Wells said the scheme would improve the outlook for nearby Westfield residents, who would now see "a green wall and native hedging" instead of the current site. Planning permission was granted subject to conditions, including a requirement for a management plan for the green wall before the store opens.

Aldi has been eyeing up the Portsmouth Road site since at least 2021 when the company first lodged an application. The proposal was thrown out in 2022 and then later rejected at appeal.

Speaking on behalf of the applicant, an agent for Aldi said the development would be a "bespoke food store on a longstanding commercial site". They said the design had been significantly scaled back compared with a previous proposal that was rejected on appeal, including a reduced building height and more traditional materials.