Official plans for another Aldi store in Ashford have finally been submitted almost three years since the discount chain snapped up a prime piece of scrubland.

Bosses at the German giant want to build a shop off Canterbury Road in Kennington after buying a 1.85-acre plot previously earmarked for a Miller & Carter steakhouse in late 2019.

Now fresh computer-generated images show how the 1,800 sq m store will look if approved for the spot between the Holiday Inn hotel and M20.

Residents have previously criticised the proposed location, saying the already congested stretch will be unable to cope with the extra traffic accessing the “abysmally positioned” supermarket.

But chiefs say a number of highway improvements will be introduced if the store is given the green light – including traffic lights at a new access point close to the M20 bridge.

Traffic lights will also be introduced at the junction with Cemetery Lane, which leads to Longacres Bybrook Barn, creating a staggered crossroads.

The Ashford-bound bus lane which currently runs to just short of the M20 bridge will also be reduced to stop at Kinney's Lane.

Official plans submitted to Ashford Borough Council say doing this will allow for the pavement to be widened to create a shared pedestrian and cycle path between Kinney's Lane and the new Aldi.

The cycle lane on the other side of the road will stay as it is, but the two traffic islands will be removed.

Originally 120 parking spaces were planned but this has fallen to 116.

Seven will be disabled bays and 10 will be for parents with young children.

Four bays will have electric vehicle charging points and another 20 will be prepared for charging points in the future.

There will also be enough storage for 18 bikes in cycle stands that will be covered by the store's canopy.

Aldi opened its first store in Ashford in Victoria Road in 2018.

It then submitted plans for a second store in Waterbrook Avenue, just off the A2070, last year which are yet to be approved.

This is the first time official plans for the Kennington site have been submitted to ABC following two public consultations earlier this year.

A smaller plot of land behind the Aldi site in Canterbury Road is also on the market with City and Counties for £500,000.

It is suggested it could be an ‘ideal opportunity’ for a drive-thru restaurant, a boutique hotel, a cafe or restaurant, a garden centre, a car dealership or a leisure facility, among other uses, although nothing has yet been confirmed.