YES- DAVID BURCH is director of policy for the Essex Chambers of Commerce.

ANY new supermarket tends to generate controversy, but at the Essex Chambers of Commerce, we generally welcome this announcement by Aldi and believe it will be a boost to the local economies where it ends up operating.

Firstly, can I say that Aldi does not belong to the chambers, so we would enjoy no direct benefit from it expanding in this way.

However, any business that is prepared to create new jobs should be welcomed rather than decried.

These jobs may not be at the top of the salary scales, but they are jobs nevertheless which will be putting money into employees’ pockets. This, in turn, should get spent in other local businesses.

This is in addition to the tax revenues this creates, to help pay for the local and national services we all use.

We don’t know exactly where Aldi will be opening, but we feel it is better to have a new Aldi store than an unused site, or an empty business premises.

Retail is changing and businesses such as Aldi have been influenced by those changes as well as helping to shape them.

We want to see a healthy economy in Essex and believe Aldi will play its part in achieving that aim.

Aldi has been increasing its share of the UK’s grocery market recently, so it is obviously doing something right.

It is now buying more locally sourced products, something we welcome and would encourage, as well as expanding its fresh food range. If south Essex follows the trend set in other parts of the UK, there is every likelihood shoppers will welcome its arrival and we hope they will enjoy more choice in where to shop as a result.

NO- RAY HOWARD is a veteran Canvey town, borough and county councillor.

I AGREE we need to support enterprise, but there is a limit to the sort of establishments we should have.

The market could easily become saturated and it will be the smaller local independent businesses which suffer, because they just can’t keep up.

When we hear about the thousands of jobs to be created, we need to understand it’s not all positive. Think of all the people who are going be put out of jobs in smaller local businesses.

I’m totally against anymore supermarkets. On the island, we will have a new Co-op store – I’ve lost count of how many of those we already have – with a Morrisons Local opening in the old Silver Jubilee pub. How many more can the island take?

I believe the Government went too far with its relaxation of the planning laws.

It has meant superstore chains, such as Aldi, can buy up pubs and other buildings and convert them without needing proper planning consent, but if I wanted to add a porch to my house, I would need planning permission. That’s outrageous.

Admittedly a lot of families go to the big supermarkets for their big shop. However, they use the smaller stores to pick up a paper and milk. I believe people really need to think more about where they shop. If they don’t, local small businesses will disappear.

In Essex we have fewer than two million people. How many supermarkets do we need?

Aldi and the like are so cheap, it seems small shops can’t compete with the prices.

It’s no secret Aldi wants to expand into south Essex but at what cost will these jobs come?

How many other people are they going to put out of business? It’s a real shame.