AN OBJECTION has been lodged against a plan to open a Home Bargains branch in Oxford.

The discount retailer revealed hopes in July to fill an empty unit at Botley Road retail park, which housed Toys R Us until its closure last year.

Consultation on the planning application has ended and Oxford City Council should make a decision by October 9 at the latest.

READ AGAIN: Home Bargains to open Oxford store

Argos has confirmed that it will be closing its Botley Road branch this month, meaning another unit on the site will soon be vacated.

READ MORE: Argos comments on Oxford store closure

Oxfordshire County Council's transport team has objected to the Home Bargains application, stating in a consultation response: "The transport statement states that three parking bays will be lost along with three trees.

"There is no justification for why this is needed, there is some concern over number of parking bays within the site and the county council therefore feel that this needs to be fully justified before being accepted.

"The transport statement suggests that there are currently 313 parking bays dedicated to the retail unit, however, it is not clear how this has been calculated. 

"It is considered likely that the adjacent Aldi store would be the biggest trip generator and is therefore likely to require more bays."

ALSO READ: Share your back to school photos

The county council's lead on flooding has also objected, stating: "[There has been] insufficient surface water management information provided to enable a full technical audit of the proposal."

The objections will be retracted if the retailer provides a satisfactory response, and although the county council is a key consultee, the city council will have the final say.

In the planning application, the Home Bargains representative wrote: "The retail unit has sat vacant with very limited interest despite extensive marketing.

"Despite difficult trading conditions, retail demand does exist from Home Bargains.

"This will be the first Home Bargains store in Oxford, with the nearest currently on Kings Park in Wantage."

ALSO READ: Travellers arrive at one of Oxfordshire's biggest housing estates

The plan would create 90 jobs and result in a £5m refit of the unit.

Home Bargains appears to have struck a deal to take on many vacant Toys R Us units across the country, with plans revealed to open in locations including Liverpool, Coventry, York, Shrewsbury and Peterborough. 

According to the Swindon Advertiser, the Toys R Us units in Swindon, Doncaster, Coventry, Oxford and Peterborough sold for a collective total of £26 million. 

There are already two Home Bargains branches in Oxfordshire - one in Wantage and another in Banbury.