WORK has started on the building of an Aldi store for Ledbury, on the New Mills industrial estate, and the supermarket giant hopes the store will be open for business by late summer.

The opening of the store will also create a major jobs boost for the town, although vacancies will not be advertised until later this spring .

Planning permission for the new store, on land by Galebreaker House on Leadon Way, was granted by Herefordshire Council last September; but it wasn't until the end of last week that heavy machinery from Lynch moved onto the site.

Huge diggers and dumper trucks are currently working up to nine hours a day, clearing the site and preparing the ground for the store's foundations.

The rumble of the heavy machinery can be heard for hours on end from neighbouring streets on the New Mills estate, including Bronte Drive and Browning Road, and this is likely to be the case for months to come.

And Aldi spokesman said: "Construction of the new store will take approximately six months to complete and the hope is that it will open for trading in August.

"Recruitment will start in the coming months, with the aim to provide up to 40 jobs on site, once it is operational."

The news has been welcomed by Ledbury people on social media, such as the Voice of Ledbury, on Facebook, not least because many local residents are looking forward to savings on their food bills, because Aldi is seen as a cheaper option than some other supermarkets.

Hayley Winchester said: "Enough of wages go on food as it it. At least this way it frees up a bit of money each week for other extras needed, like school trips."

Kim Williams said: " It's a different set up; a pile "em high, sell them cheap" type of store, but once I got my trolley skills up to scratch, it's a doddle."

Kelly Wright said: "I definitely still save, even taking fuel into account, I would say what costs me £70 in Tesco would cost me £45 or £50 there, and I prefer the food."

The Aldi food store will offer a floor space of 1794 sq metres.

It will also offer 109 associated car parking spaces and a minimum 10 external cycle parking spaces.

Resident Jackie Samuel looked forward to "easier parking" at the edge of town store.

She said: "Parking in Ledbury is a nightmare."

But not every Ledbury resident is an Aldi fan.

Pam Wildig said: "I've only been in an Aldi once and haven't been tempted again. There's too much random 'rubbish' in there for my liking. I'm glad jobs will be created, and people who normally go out of town for their 'big' shop will stay in the town."

And resident Chris Parsons said: "I would have preferred a Sainsburys. I tried Aldi in Ross and it was like shopping in a disorganised pound shop."

An application for a Sainsburys on the New Mills Industrial estate was turned down by Herefordshire Council in February 2012.