A CUT-PRICE supermarket giant has unveiled plans for a huge warehouse and offices at Ower, which could create 200 jobs.

German retailer Lidl wants to build a regional distribution centre on a field on the edge of the New Forest National Park as part of its south-coast store expansion plans.

But the move to build the centre at Wade Park Farm, near Junction 2 of the M27, has already angered some residents in the nearby village of Ower.

They are worried about loss of views, light and noise pollution, extra traffic and plummeting house prices.

Accountan, Paul Donaldson, 35, of Romsey Road, said: “It has really come out of the blue. This is the gateway to the National Park. It will wipe out the whole village.”

Netley Marsh parish council chairman, Rob Giddings, said: “We will have to consult our parishioners, but the National Park Authority would have strong views on it, as it is concerned about industrial development right on its border.”

However, Tory district councillor Derek Tipp welcomed the proposals.

“Personally I think we need some jobs and it’s probably not as sensitive a spot as some of the other parts of the Forest. It could be good news for people needing local employment,” he said.

Lidl has distributed leaflets inviting the public to two open days later this week to show off its proposed scheme and job opportunities before it submits a planning application.

A spokesman said: “It’s at really early stages. The public consultation is to let people know what the plans are and encourage interest and feedback.”

Jobs will be created in product picking, management, sales, property development and administration support. The site is understood to have been earmarked for future commercial development by New Forest District Council.

Lidl has its regional office for the South at Eastleigh’s Boyatt Wood Shopping Centre. The retailer came to the UK in 1994 and has expanded to more than 500 stores. The recent economic downturn has resulted in double-digit growth as shoppers cut back on spending at more expensive superstores.

Latest figures show Lidl increased its share of the grocery market by 12.3 per cent to 2.4 per cent in the 12 weeks to mid-April.

The firm is advertising for prominent sites to accommodate its growth. The Ower distribution centre would be Lidl’s ninth in the UK. The nearest others are in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, Enfield and Belvedere, in Kent.