The news that Farmfoods is to take over the Aldi store in Meredith Road in Ipswich seems set to bring forward an application to build a new supermarket on the Anglia Retail Park.

The fact that the Meredith Road site will continue to be occupied after Aldi pulls out means that planners are more likely to approve an application to build a new supermarket next to the Jump In unit at the park off Bury Road.

The owner of the site, Ipswich Borough Assets, is now expected to push ahead with lodging a formal application to build the new store over the next few months.

No formal announcement has been made about which store would move into it - but it is understood that discount supermarket giant Lidl is looking to open a major new site in that part of the town.

The site for the new store would be where the garden centre was for the former B&Q store. This has recently been cleared.

Ipswich councillor Colin Kreidewolf is chair of the council-owned IBA and said it was very pleased with the way the Anglia Retail Park was developing and attracting more shoppers.

Work to convert the former Pizza Hut into Tim Horton's Family Diner is continuing - and there are plans for the former Carphone Warehouse site to become a Taco Bell takeaway and which are progressing well.

Mr Kreidewolf said: "There is considerable momentum at the Anglia Retail Park at the moment and shoppers are being attracted there."

He said the developments at the park were part of a package of good news for the north west of Ipswich.

As ward councillor for Westgate, which includes the town end of Bramford Road, he was pleased that Farmfoods planned to retain its existing store when opening in Meredith Road.

He said: "That sounds like a win-win. The store at Meredith Road will remain open even though it doesn't fit in with Aldi's requirements now they have a new store at Europa Way and the customers who use the existing Farmfoods will still have it open."