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Aldi has submitted formal plans to build a new supermarket on the site of the Co-operative Food store in Nelson.

The German retailer plans to demolish the existing building, on Mafon Road, and replace it with a “new discount retail foodstore” and a 120-space car park.

Planning agent Avison Young carried out a pre-planning consultation earlier this year, attracting the views of nearly 500 local residents.

In a report, the agent said the vast majority of people (94.6%) who responded online supported the scheme, including one who described the potential Aldi as “a boon to our area” and another who called the firm’s arrival “a huge asset for the community”.

But other respondents raised concerns about the volume of traffic on the A472 in front of the proposed supermarket, as well as protections for birds which nest at the site.

Avison Young said the internal floor space of the new Aldi will be around 27% bigger than the existing Co-operative and will have a “modern design”.

The Nelson store will follow the firm’s “uniform internal layout” designed to be “efficient and practical for use by customers”.

The application for planning permission is currently out for consultation, and can be viewed on the Caerphilly County Borough Council website under reference 24/0254/FULL.