ALDI has submitted a pre-planning application to the community council, proposing a store on the Skewfields site in Pontypool.

An application to Torfaen County Borough Council will be submitted in the next few weeks.

But the supermarket chain was refused an application to develop the same site last year, following concerns over congestion at Skewfields Roundabout, which links the A472 and the A4042 at the former Trico site.

Pontypool Community Council is supporting the application.

A spokesperson for the store said: “Aldi, like many local people, were disappointed when a previous planning application for a store at Skewfields in Pontypool was refused.

“Over recent months, we have worked hard to address the reasons for refusal and will soon be submitting a revised planning application.”

The revised application responds to the council’s previous concerns on the impact the store would have on the town centre and traffic congestions.

Aldi has undertaken more shopping surveys, which allegedly show that the town centre is healthy and that there are a variety of popular stores in the centre, which would maintain similar levels of visitors if Aldi opened in the town.

In addition to the proposed footpath and community transport contributions offered by the supermarket, a taxi bay and free taxi phone are now proposed to further enhance accessibility for non-car owners.

Further information is also provided to emphasise that the site will be accessible to residents of Sebastopol, Griffithstown, and New Inn, which make up a large proportion of the town’s population.

The proposal also now includes speed reduction measures that will be installed on the A4042/A472 roundabout. This means that the Welsh Government have confirmed that they will not object to the Aldi proposal.

Aldi said the initial pre-application consultation attracted 1,280 responses with 88 per cent (1,094) of respondents confirming that they would welcome an Aldi store on the proposed site.

A number of councillors and members of the planning team previously welcomed Aldi’s interest in Pontypool.

Addressing the original application, Cwmynyscoy’s Cllr Neil Waite said that the prospect of creating new jobs in the area would be beneficial.