The rise of the budget supermarkets shows no sign of letting up in one part of Kent.

Today, Lidl throws open the doors to its new store in London Road, Ditton, a move which previously sparked a furore over gridlock fears.

When Lidl first proposed its new Ditton store in January 2020 it left nearby residents fearing increased traffic and claiming there would be adverse effects on neighbouring businesses. But a 300-signature petition failed to stop it going ahead at the junction with Bradbourne Lane.

The supermarket is on the site of the former Maidstone Kia garage and has 77 parking spaces. Forty new jobs have been created.

Shoppers will now be spoilt for choice – there is already a Sainsbury’s, Marks & Spencer and Aldi in Aylesford, a Morrisons in Larkfield and a Tesco in New Hythe.

The Lidl store will open between 8am and 10pm Monday to Saturday, and between 10am and 4pm on Sunday.

Aldi, however, has suffered a setback in its plans to gain permission for a new store in Kings Hill.

Several residents had backed the move, although Asda, which has been based there for nearly 20 years, was among those to object.

It raised concerns that HGVs would not cope with the road system.

The store proposed would be accessed from Alexander Grove and have 120 parking spaces. It would be a single-storey building, with green credentials such as heat pumps and electric charging places.

However, Tonbridge and Malling councillors still had concerns.

They voted by eight votes to four to defer a decision, to give the supermarket chain time to provide more information about parking and traffic movements.