Prospects of another Aldi store in Ipswich on land off Europa Way has gathered a mixed reaction from readers, an Ipswich Star and EADT poll has revealed.

Ipswich Star: Europa Way, Ipswich, where Aldi is planning to create a new store. Picture: ARCHANTEuropa Way, Ipswich, where Aldi is planning to create a new store. Picture: ARCHANT

Last week the budget retailer submitted a planning application to develop a brownfield site off Europa Way, near Sproughton Road, which if approved alongside a planned Martlesham store would be the fifth in the Ipswich area.

The store would bring at least 50 jobs to the town, and would mean an unused site will be redeveloped.

After reporting the news in yesterday’s papers and online, we launched a poll on our websites to find out what you made of the news.

When asked if Ipswich needed another Aldi store, just over half (52%) of the 248 respondents said the town did need another Aldi.

Ipswich Star: A digital impression of what the new Aldi store may look like in Europa Way if approved. Picture: VECTOR DESIGN CONCEPTSA digital impression of what the new Aldi store may look like in Europa Way if approved. Picture: VECTOR DESIGN CONCEPTS (Image: Archant)

Just 39% of respondents said that they felt Ipswich had too many supermarkets.

When asked what the Europa Way land should be used for, Aldi emerged as the most popular.

Of the 248, 43% wanted to see the Aldi built, with 22% calling for homes, 20% suggesting other business or retail use and just 15% wanting it to remain undeveloped.

Commenting on the website, user IpswichMan said that “more competition is always better” and would help drive down prices, while several praised the number of jobs it would bring to the area.

However, others felt it would add more problems.

Emma Osborne on Facebook said that traffic through the Blakenham estate was already bad enough without the additional traffic, while others said expansion in Felixstowe and the Trimleys made the coastal town a better option.

An Aldi spokesman said: “A planning application for a new Aldi store in Ipswich has been submitted and, if granted consent, it will bring more shopping choice to the area and create up to 50 new jobs.

“We will keep the local community updated as the application progresses.”

Aldi opened its most recent Ipswich store in Pinewood last year, with stores already existing at Rosehill Retail Centre and Meredith Road.

The store has also voiced its commitment to creating a store near Kingpin in Martlesham Heath, which it hopes can be finalised before Christmas once work on the Adastral Park homes has made progress.