Residents told parish councillors they were wrong to oppose plans for a new supermarket at a heated meeting.

Discount chain Aldi has applied to Braintree Council to build a 12,000 sq ft store at the Skyline 120 business park in Great Notley.

The company claims the store will create up to 50 jobs, but Great Notley Parish Council has opposed the plans because the designated use of the land is light industrial.

The council has also cited parking concerns because the landowner will not let employees park on site.

A seven-strong team from Aldi attended the meeting on Monday night, but were told they could only give a short presentation as councillors refused to change rules limiting public discussion time to 15 minutes.

Members of the public felt the council should have consulted residents more widely before making its recommendation.

See this week's Braintree Times for the full story.