ON Stroud District Council’s decision to approve plans for an Aldi in Lightpill.

Posted by Gertlush: Appalling decisions, In this case I think the public are very wrong, very short sighted for the want of a few cheap tomatoes. I for one and many of our friends fully supported the councillors when previously these chains were turned down (for very valid reasons). None of the issues regarding traffic have been rectified in the new plans (the same) and the committee have now basically caved in to public pressure. A sad day for the town.

Posted by John WR: Why is it that a lot of the debate about Aldi centred on the fact that it was a discount store but the Daniels site application simply says ‘food store’ so it could be anything? Also in the original application in 2013 the ‘retail unit’ was down as a fast food ‘drive-through’ - again, the council seem happy to consider the unknown. Having said that it looks as if they are going to carry on prevaricating. Ah, I see it’s going to be a drive-through coffee shop, just what Stroud needs! And it’s just become a ‘large discount food store’. Am I imagining what’s just happened? With the Kitesnest development, that whole block is going to be a total transformation.

On the decision to approve plans for a large foodstore, drive-through and 50 houses on the Daniels Industrial Estate in Stroud.

Posted by Cots Adorer: The ‘cheaper’ the retail offerings get, the more rundown an area becomes, so SDC needs to be very careful. While the new development will probably look better than the ghastly industrial buildings on the site currently, Stroud does not want to become a discount town. If you create a quality environment, the money follows it. The town already has numerous Co-Ops, a Tesco and Tesco Express, a Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Morrisons nearby. Much of Aldi’s success has been built on the Pound Shop model but not everything is as cheap as you think as many the packets are purposely manufactured to suit discount stores...lower volumes inside etc but still ‘look cheap’.

On the plans for a Lidl, apartments and houses in Dudbridge.

Posted by Barry-Stroud: Employment protection, new employment and housing - what’s not to like!

Posted by kjag23: Are those plaza things for parking? Looks to be inadequate parking spaces for the residential dwellings. Cars will be dumped all over the roads as always happens.