A supermarket has backed down on plans to stop providing free parking for all drivers at its store in Coulsdon.

In September, Aldi applied to Croydon Council for powers to prevent non-customers from parking at its Brighton Road store - despite committing to providing parking for non-customers as a condition of the store's planning permission.

FROM FEBRUARY 2014: Aldi supermarket approved at site of Coulsdon's Red Lion pub

Aldi claimed the car park had been regularly operating over capacity since it opened in April this year.

The application for tighter restrictions was lodged in September, and has been publicly criticised by politicians including Croydon South MP Chris Philp and London Assembly member Steve O'Connell, who claimed the change would increase pressure on parking in Coulsdon.

Despite this, Croydon Council officers had recommended the application be approved.

But today a council spokesman confirmed that Aldi had withdrawn its application, a week before it was due be decided on by the council's planning committee.

Mr Philp, who had written to Aldi's UK chief executive about the application, said: "I am thrilled to see Aldi have withdrawn their application to make their car park for customer use only. It is fantastic they have seen sense as this application, if it had been granted, would have only brought more parking chaos to Coulsdon."

The move means all drivers will remain able to park for free in the Aldi car park for 90 minutes, regardless of whether they are shopping at the store.

It remains unclear what swayed Aldi to withdraw their application. The company has been contacted for comment.

Mario Creatura, Conservative councillor for Coulsdon West said: "I have no idea why they have withdrawn it, but it's obviously a good thing. If they have realised that they have gone back on the agreement, then that's very welcome that they have had a change of heart."

The Brighton Road store opened in April this year on the long-derelict site of the former Red Lion pub, which closed in 2004.

Aldi fought for a number of year to get permission to develop on the site.