THE proposed site of a new Aldi store in a Wrexham village is more than six times larger than originally planned, say councillors.

The discount food retailer recently revealed the plans, which could create up to 40 new jobs, to build the store as part of a wider scheme to build more than 300 new homes on land just off Gresford Road and Straight Mile.

At a meeting of Llay Community Council on Wednesday evening, concerns were raised about how the original plans for the Home Farm site included around 300m2 of retail space had now swelled to 1,950m2, which is more than six times the size.

Bryan Apsley, Chair of the Community council, said that although many people in the village had accepted the new store was good news for Llay, at a meeting with representatives from the supermarket last week, both he and fellow councillor Rob Walsh, had at least received answers about highway related issues.

Cllr Apsley said: "We asked many questions on highways and they had answers for them all, with a 173 page report on those alone. They were very professional.

"However, the thing that's getting to me is the fact the original plans included just 300 square metres of retails space, but this more than six times bigger. When I asked them how this was the case, they told me "we had nothing to do with that". Is it reasonable for any village to have a retail unit that is six times bigger than originally planned?"

Although the size of the store is much larger than what the original plans had designated for retail, it is considered standard by Aldi's standards, with other stores around the county being around the same size.

Cllr Apsley added: "I just don't understand how they (developers) treat the planning committee so disrespectfully. How can they expect us to be happy with one size and then all of a sudden, it's six times bigger."

"There's some good things about it too, such as the tree preservation order and the fact they're going to have a path on the inside of it."

Cllr Apsley also made a quip that there was at least one more bonus to the new scheme, in the fact there would be a bus stop included, with the only problem being there is currently no buses serving the route.

He said: "Seriously, if anyone had any nous about them, they would see the likely demand for people wanting to get to the new store and they'd put a route in, which would also reduce the number of cars on the road.

"Whether Arriva have got it in them, I don't know."

Cllr John O'Keefe, who lives right next to the development, said that Llay simply did not have the infrastructure for such a development.

He said: "I'm in favour of a store like this coming to Llay, we really need one, but we don't need it there. It's simply too big for the road.

"I'm also worried about what the impact will be on other shops in the village once it opens. If the McColl's was ever to close, that would mean we'd also lose our post office facility."