COUNCILLORS will tonight decide if Taunton will be home to cut-price supermarket Aldi.

In a report, planning officers have recommended that the plans for the grocer at the former J&K Aquatics site in Bathpool be rejected.

The report claims it would impact negatively on the town centre, increase traffic problems, endanger a proposed district centre in Monkton Heathfield and potentially put Morrisons and Sainsbury’s out of business in the town centre.

The majority of the scores of visitors to our Facebook and County Gazette sites supported Aldi setting up at Bathpool.

Here’s a selection of what you had to say:

bakingbore31: “These are the only places that tend to invest in the area, budget food departments! with people not wanting to pay for much else its all that will be brought into the area.”

jellyonaplate: “Could really do with a supermarket being built on the A358 side of Taunton. Traffic coming from Cotford St Luke/ Bishops Lydeard/Wiveliscombe and beyond would benefit from having a store built this side of town.”

Somerset SPY: “We want Aldi.”

Peter Knight: “Why are the council saying that if Aldi is built at Bathpool they will oppose it, but it would be OK if it was built at Firepool? That means possibly two supermarkets will close if built at Bathpool, but they will not if built at Firepool, I don’t understand the logic.”

Thurza: “I want to see an Aldi in Taunton, at present I go to Cullompton every month. Competition is good and reduces prices.”

yorkiedog: “I don’t shop at Aldi and wouldn’t if it was in Bath-pool. Too far out of Taunton and the saving would be cancelled out in cost of extra petrol and time getting there and back.”

littlerobin: “It should be left up to the stores who are in competition with Aldi to up their game to attract more customers, it is not TDBC’s job to do their job for them and shut down the competition on their behalf. The people in the town would like an Aldi, there are few objections from the public.”

Aliendaz: “The fact it could be refused planning because it could put Sainsburys and Morrisons out of business?? how many small local groceries closed when they opened?”

We still want to hear your views ahead of the decision tonight.

Take our poll and let us know what you think.

  • The meeting will take place tonight, (July 13), at the John Meikle Room, The Deane House, Belvedere Road, Taunton, at 5pm.