AN influx of shoppers will add to a traffic 'nightmare' in Cowley if plans for a new branch of budget supermarket Lidl are approved, Oxford Mail readers have warned.

We revealed this week that a planning application has been submitted to Oxford City Council to turn Matalan at Templars Retail Park into the German food store.

Read our original story with full details of the proposal

But despite a transport impact assessment stating the affect on traffic would be 'minimal', readers were sceptical.

Commenting on the original story, user 'Headington mum' wrote: "It's a nightmare getting in and out of the car park at busy times at the moment and it causes major jams on the road already.

"The problem is that many people park there and walk over to Templars Square to save on the parking charge in the multi-storey."

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Several readers welcomed the arrival of Lidl, which already has a store in Watlington Road, but were also concerned about traffic.

'Milkbutnosugarplease' wrote: "Lidl is a great store but it needs its own car park due to the high number of customers stopping there for just five or 10 minutes.

"Matalan (I would guess) has fewer customers but who stay for longer.”

The deadline has closed for comments on the application. To see the plans in full visit oxford.gov.uk.