LIDL has emerged as the most popular choice for a new supermarket in Stroud, according to a poll by the SNJ.

This comes after councillors on Stroud District Council’s (SDC) planning committee made the surprise decision to accept the Dudbridge Industrial Estate as the site for a new supermarket.

They rejected two other applications, one for an Asda in Bath Road and another supermarket in Ryeford.

Lidl has exclusive rights to negotiations with the landowners at the industrial estate off Dudbridge Road, and SNJ readers voted the German store their preferred choice for a supermarket at the site.

Our online poll asked readers which supermarket they would you like to see at Dudbridge Road, and Lidl received 31 per cent of the votes.

Aldi was a close second with 28 per cent. while 22 per cent said they would be happy to see an Asda and only two per cent voted for a Tesco.

The Dudbridge site has a flood risk and planning officers advised councillors against accepting the application, but this didn’t persuade them against approving the plans.

During the planning committee meeting last week, councillors raised their concerns about the increase in traffic on the A46 if the Asda was built.

Cllr Steve Robinson added: “According to an independent analysis done by the Chamber of Trade, shops in Nailsworth will see 125 job losses if there’s an Asda.”

After the meeting, Cllr Robinson told the SNJ: “I think that was the best outcome we could have had with the choices available to us, especially if it is a Lidl store because it wouldn’t have the same detrimental impact on jobs in Nailsworth as an Asda would.”

A spokesman from campaign group Stroud Against Supermarket Saturation said: “Whilst we had hoped councillors would reject each of the out of town proposals, there was robust debate and rationale behind their decision to give planning approval to build a store at Dudbridge.”

Officers made it clear to councillors at the start of the meeting that their decisions needed to be based on planning matters and that members of the council should not vote based on whether Stroud needed a new supermarket or not.