Budget supermarket Lidl has decided it wants a piece of the action on the Isle of Sheppey.

In a surprise move, it has lodged plans to build a 1,906 sq ft store at Cowstead Corner.

Lidl, which promises to be "big on quality, lidl on price" has cheekily decided to build its latest store directly opposite its rival Aldi's distribution centre at Neats Court retail park, Queenborough.

Documents say it will provide up to 40 new jobs and a "clean and fresh shopping experience to meet the needs of Sheppey residents". It will feature its own in-store bakery.

But it could face opposition as the roundabout is a notorious bottleneck at rush hour and often leads to gridlock during the summer as tourists head for Minster and Leysdown.

There will be vehicle access from Queenborough Road with a 125-space car park which will include six disabled spaces, six parent and child spaces, two electric vehicle charging points and seven motorcycle spaces. There will also be secure parking stands for up to 12 cycles.

The application site covers 2.4 acres and is bounded by the A2500 and Queenborough Road.

It comes as rival Aldi prepares to hand over its existing store in Sheerness to Home Bargains and start work on its own bigger supermarket near where Lidl wants to build. It was originally turned down but is awaiting the result of an appeal.

Lidl's application was officially accepted by Swale's planners on Friday on the same day Sheppey businessman Tom Allsworth unveiled his own plans for an £18m Walbrook Business Park virtually next door.

The supermarket says details of the proposals will now be sent to Island residents and businesses for their comments.

It said: "The aim is to proactively involve individuals and groups to ensure that feedback can, where appropriate, be taken into account when progressing our proposals.

"Lidl is committed to ongoing engagement with all local stakeholders. Contact details provided on the flyer will remain a direct and permanent method of contacting Lidl’s project team during the determination period."

Lidl's success is down to stocking its stores with around 80% of its own-brand products and selling at "very attractive prices" using bulk purchasing across the UK and Europe.

It said: "The Lidl format is a well-established shopping experience in Europe with almost 10,000 stores across the continent. The company is seeking to build upon its strong presence in the UK with over 900 stores opened to date, employing over 26,000 people."

Typical opening hours are 7am to 10pm Mondays to Saturdays and 10am to 4pm on Sundays. There is already a store at Sittingbourne.

Cllr Cameron Beart (Con, Halfway and Queenborough) was one of the first to break the news using his Facebook page. He told Kent Online: "This application shows there are still national retailers looking to invest on our island and create more employment opportunities locally. This is a good sign for the local economy."

"The Walbrook application is, of course, fantastic news. It provides for a huge gap in the market and is likely to provide a large number of new jobs with companies looking to start here or move to the island and grow in size."

You can view the planning application and make comments by visiting here and searching 22/504598/FULL.