Ikea's new store in Greenwich has sparked debate among election candidates over traffic issues and air quality.

Planning permission was granted for a £100m Ikea store in Millennium Way Retail Park off Bugsby's Way in July last year.

Following a campaign against the Swedish retail giant moving in, Peninsula candidates in the upcoming election were pressured on how they would deal with the extra traffic.

Liberal Democrat Richard Chamberlain suggested hiking the car park charges up so people would avoid driving.

He said: “I’m not someone who is against Ikea, I think there are ways to accommodate it. There are 42 buses now passing each direction outside, what you could do is put very heavy car parking charges on the car park to discourage people and cross-subsidise the whole delivery.

“Having recently bought a wardrobe it wouldn’t fit into a friend's car, I had to use the delivery service. I say high car park charges, cross-subsidise the delivery, so people don’t come by car.”

Ikea’s store, which began construction in the autumn, will be served by more than 1,000 parking spaces.

Anthony Higgingbottom, a Conservative candidate, said: “When Ikea was approved it was done on the basis people would go in and buy flatpack wardrobes and jump on a bus.

“We all know that’s not going to happen. We need a strong opposition to ask the difficult questions, to ask the Labour council what they are actually planning.

“We will continue to lobby the council to make sure the road layout is better and the cars aren’t sitting idle as they wait to get in and out of car parks. We see it at the Blackwall Tunnel, cars idling. What we really need is to get cars off and back where they came.”

The Blackwall Tunnel is one of the worst areas in London for high levels of toxic nitrogen dioxide levels, beaten by Hyde Park Corner and Marylebone Road.

Matt Browne, Green candidate, said: “We could use money sitting in the Labour council to pay for little road schemes. Ikea is a travesty, traffic will be so much we all know that. We could use money to trial car pooling schemes on entry roads to reduce the amount of traffic going in.

“You could also look at technical schemes, you could look at traffic lights.

“Use a scoot system to time traffic lights depending on how heavy demand is at the time of day. That can improve flow, reduce the time cars are idling and reduces the horrific impact on air quality.”

Labour’s Stephen Brain said he had objected to Ikea several times, and that he would be affected by the extra traffic.

He added: “I take everyone’s points about air quality, but it’s nothing new and not a solo task to the Greens. We have done something on air quality, we are re-enforcing on parking . We are bringing in a new system enforcing parking, bringing that enforcement into the 21st century. ”

“Another myth about money we are sitting on,  Greenwich High Road was closed on February 17 We got £700,050 out of Ikea in section 106 money, and I know the ecology centre took the money for a new classroom.”