HOME Bargains will open its first Oxford store in the near future.

The discount shop will move into the former Toys R Us shop on Botley Road.

The move was approved by Oxford city councillor's on the west area planning committee last night.

The shop was first rumoured for a change of ownership in June, when Home Bargains made an plannning application to change the signs over the empty toy shop.

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It also made another application to alter the limits of its opening hours and to allow it to sell food.

Both applications were unanimously approved by the planning committee last night.

Councillor Louise Upton welcomed the application but suggested Home Bargains shoud apply to put solar panels on the roof in the future to promote green energy.

Committee chair Colin Cook said they had plenty of opportunity in the future to apply to do this.

Oxford Mail:

Toys R Us in Botley Road, April 2018

In August, concerns were raised about how changes to the shop would affect how it would cope with flooding, along with worries about a reduction in the number of parking spaces.

Objections from the city council and the Environment Agency were withdrawn because of amendments to the plans ahead of last night's meeting

These changes have included amendments to staff bike stores so they are no longer flood proof, and will allow surface water to fill them instead of spreading elsewhere.

The last day of trading at Oxford’s Toys R Us story was on April 21 last year.

The company filed for bankruptcy in 2017 after performing poorly against competitors in the USA.

It’s UK stores began closing in 2018 after Toys R Us entered administration.

Argos on Botley Road has also closed recently, with the its last day of trading on September 21.

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

Home Bargains has 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 and Peterborough.

The Oxford store could create 90 jobs and result in a £5m refit of the unit.