A new traffic system will have to be introduced to Cockermouth if plans for a new supermarket get the go-ahead. 

Lidl wants to build a 19,000sq ft store on land, creating up to 40 jobs. 

The chain has spent two years drawing up plans to redevelop the Fairfield Garage site off Station Road and the neighbouring WCF Pet & Equestian store.

Under its plans, a new store would be built for WCF on the existing garage site.

Councillor Eric Nicholson said: "There will be more congestion but the only real solution is to put an exit onto the A66 along Lorton Road.

"To do that the developers, or someone, has to come up with the funding."

Councillor Christine Smith, who represents All Saints, said she welcomed the proposal, but the road system would need to be overhauled. 

She said: "Traffic will be horrendous once the new homes are built in the town so we really need another road to keep cars away from this side of town."

At a drop-session on Friday, Elizabeth Hockley, 71, of Gable Avenue, said: "That road at certain times of he day gets very clogged up and having another supermarket off it could make it worse."

Jenny Bell, who lives off Gable Avenue, said: "We are worried about the traffic. At certain times of the day it's a nightmare and it's right beside a working fire station."

David Murphy, Lidl's regional head of property, said Cockermouth had been a target town for a number of years and the plans followed the success of its Wigton store, which opened in 2011.

Mr Murphy said the plans would reduce the access points from the site to the road from three to one, joining at the existing mini roundabout.

Cumbria Highways will have be consulted about access once plans have been submitted.

He added that the viability of a new supermarket in the town was only increasing as more houses were built.

The firm has held pre-application talks with Allerdale council and hopes to lodge formal plans in mid-November.

If approved, the old WCF building would only be demolished once the firm had moved to its new 7,000sq ft premises.

The supermarket and WCF would share a 90-space car park.

Lidl has agreements to buy all the required land subject to planning permission.

The P&R Benn garage on the site is expected to relocate, while the Travis Perkins branch behind WCF would close.

A decision would be expected in February or March and, if approved, the firm hopes to start building work on the WCF unit after Easter.

Work on the supermarket could being next autumn, with an opening date in spring 2017.

Jo Ritzema, managing director of WCF, said firm had been based on the same site since opening in Cockermouth in 1911 and was keen to remain in the same place.

She said: "We do very well out of our very old building but to modernise we need a new building."

Residents viewing the plans raised concerns about the scheme.

Helen Lord, of the town centre, said: "We have already got a Sainsbury's, a Co-op and an Aldi. We don't need another large supermarket.

"Cockermouth's suppose to be a gem town. It will threaten the independent retailers."

Coun Nicholson added: "I'm not 100 per cent sure Cockermouth needs another supermarket however the big plus is that it's in the town centre. 

"Hopefully that will encourage people who come to the store to carry on afterwards into the town centre. 

"It certainly won't cause as much harm as if it was located on the outskirts of town."