Supermarket chain Lidl claims a new branch in the heart of Dereham would have a "negligible" impact on traffic in the town - despite the concerns of councillors and locals. 

The German discount chain applied for the go-ahead to take over the former Busseys car dealership site in Yaxham Road last May.

Lidl has just lodged new documents to support the plan with Breckland Council - in which it says traffic would be no cause for concern. 

The document adds: “Overall, the site is located in an accessible location that promotes access by sustainable transport, including public transport, walking and cycling, and the impact of the proposed development on the local highway network is negligible."

However, locals are yet to be convinced.

One recent comment submitted to the council about the plan said there would need to be "major changes" to the road layout for the town to be able to cope with the new store.

It read: "Any increase in traffic seeking to enter or leave this site will compound the already substantial congestion that occurs regularly in this area. 

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"This is an entirely unacceptable application and is wasting much time and resource of all involved in responding to it.”

Dereham Times: The current Lidl in Dereham is located on Kingston RoadThe current Lidl in Dereham is located on Kingston Road (Image: Archant)

The new store would have 120 parking spaces, including two rapid EV charging spaces, and stands for 12 bicycles.

And Breckland councillor Alison Webb said in another submission she was also concerned about traffic, as the area was already a "bottleneck" for traffic.

"I support expanding the store to give employment opportunities but mitigation must be sought for the traffic challenge in that area already," she said.

A date for when Breckland's planning committee will consider the application has not been set. The application documents are online at planning.breckland.gov.uk, search for 3PL/2022/0590