Officials behind plans for a new supermarket in Whitchurch have said their promises to the town council go “above and beyond” £45,000 which councillors say they will have control of.

The Herald reported last week members had reiterated their objections to the proposed new Aldi superstore saying it would have a negative impact on businesses in the town and voiced concerns on the impact it would have on the existing Lidl store.

However, Aldi has now contacted the Herald to clarify the benefits, which it says include 40 new jobs and safety improvements to Wrexham Road where the store is proposed.

George Brown, property director for Aldi, said: “As well as this, we have been liaising with Whitchurch Town Council and are willing to offer directional signage from the store and the canal towpath to the town centre; introduce a shopper bus to link the store with the town centre costing in the order of £60,000; and provide a contribution of £10,000 to Whitchurch Town Council to help promote the town centre for which a number of initiatives have been suggested to assist in attracting visitors to the town centre.

“This goes above and beyond the £45,000 quoted by the town council.”

He added: “We would also like to provide further clarification in relation to impact on the current Lidl store in the town. As part of the application process, Shropshire Council required Aldi to provide up-to-date evidence to support our retail assessment in relation to the impact of the store on the town centre.

“This included understanding the performance of the town centre as a whole, which includes the Lidl store, and was therefore a requirement we addressed.”