Top planning officials will decide whether a new supermarket can be built in Aberystwyth next month.

The Welsh Government will hold a public inquiry in March to discuss plans for an Aldi store on the former Kwik Save and Cambrian Garage sites along Park Avenue.

Ceredigion County Council planners had approved the plans for the new supermarket at the site in June 2019, despite an objection from rival supermarket chain Lidl.

But the planning application was then called in by the Welsh Government over potential flooding concerns. Ceredigion council said the decision had been taken as it “may conflict with national policy”.

Since then, the Welsh Government had asked for representations, with a spokesperson now confirming that a full public inquiry will be held.

That hearing will be at Ceredigion Council’s Canolfan Rheidol office in Llanbadarn on Wednesday, 25 March.

The Welsh Government spokesperson said: “The application is currently with the Planning Inspectorate and a public inquiry has been arranged for 25 March.”

Welsh Government documents had said it needed to consider whether flooding concerns should have meant the application was rejected.

They say: “Questions are raised concerning whether sufficient regard has been given to the potential effect of flooding on neighbouring areas.”

The store, if it is approved, is expected to create 40 jobs and see a long-standing empty site used. Aldi has owned the land for around 10 years.

Following the initial planning permission, Lidl had said it would consider going to judicial review to fight the Aldi application if it went ahead.

Local town councillor Mair Benjamin has hit out at the continuing delays over the Aldi scheme, saying that flooding issues had not stopped the development of the Tesco and Marks & Spencer stores nearby.