THE Aldi application for Ledbury, approved last week, revealed divisions of opinion between two county councillors who, four years ago, stood side by side to successfully oppose a proposed Sainsbury's superstore for the town.

Both Cllr Andrew Warmington (Ledbury West), who was not a county councillor at the time of the Sainsbury's application, and Cllr Liz Harvey (Ledbury North) agree that there will be an adverse effect on town centre trade when the new Aldi store opens, on the New Mills industrial estate.

But at last week's meeting, Cllr Warmington spoke in support of the Aldi application "with a few misgivings", while Cllr Harvey put the case for "the business concerns of those whose livelihoods are put at risk by this development".

Because of her ward boundaries, she said she was "the only ward councillor entitled to speak for the town centre".

Cllr Harvey, speaking after the meeting, said: "As the ward member representing the interests of Ledbury's town centre, I remain concerned that the Aldi planning application significantly under-represented the likely impact of the store on retail spend on everyday food and convenience goods in the town centre."

At the meeting, Cllr Warmington mentioned studies into the likely impact of Aldi on other town traders.

One study had the new Aldi store drawing 55% of its trade from existing Ledbury shops and concluding that the store would have "a negative 16.1% trade impact on Tesco, 19.5% on Co-Op and 6.0% on Ledbury Town Centre as a whole".

Cllr Warmington said at the meeting, to members of the Herefordshire Council planning committee: "Clearly, this Aldi will have an adverse impact on the town centre. That is inevitable. The key word is “significant” and it is to a large degree a matter for your judgement where a 'significant' impact begins."

But he also added: "You may also think it significant that, to the best of my knowledge, not a single High Street trader has raised their voice against Aldi, when many did against Sainsbury’s. I doubt that the majority in favour is quite so clear-cut, but all the evidence suggests that Ledbury as a whole does want this to go ahead.

"Four and a half years ago, you quite rightly rejected a much bigger development proposal on this site. It was the wrong store, at the wrong time and in the wrong place. This application offers us something that is close to being the right development, in the same place but realistically the only place, and at a more appropriate time."

He added: "For those reasons, if I did have a vote here today, I would, with a few misgivings, vote to support this application."

Under planning procedures, Herefordshire Council ward councillors are not allowed to vote on planning matters concerning Ledbury, but they may speak at the meetings.