Lidl pledges Newport store despite blow as Aldi gets go-ahead

Lidl is poised to move into Mere Park Garden Centre after its bid to build a shop on a site next to it failed, Telford & Wrekin Council's planning committee was told at a meeting last night.

Councillors had just given the go-ahead for rival chain Aldi to knock down the former Focus DIY store in Audley Avenue and build a 1,745 square metre supermarket.

And the committee had been advised by officers to refuse Lidl's plan for the Stafford Road site due to a lack of transport and it would be development on a greenfield site.

But councilors were told of an agreement between Lidl and the owner of the garden centre for the supermarket to take advantage of its existing open retail permission if the new build was denied.

Arfon Hughes, representing the supermarket, said: "Lidl likes Mere Park and will be opening a store there."

He said the decision councillors faced was whether they let Lidl build a new store in return for cash contributions to the community or for the store to move into the garden centre and give the council no money.

Councillor Leon Murray said: "Am I hearing right that if we turn down the new store then the applicant can simply go into the garden centre building and put a store in there?"

Gareth Thomas, planning officer, said: "That's right in principle. But there's some difference in that scenario in that you would need planning permission to restructure that building. The principle remains, yes, they can move into the space that occupies that building without planning permission."

Mr Murray replied: "We are in a no win situation whatever decision."

Councillor Nigel Dugmore said: "If there's going to be a Lidl anyway we might as well have one where we get some money from it."

But the committee agreed with planning officers and the application was turned down.

Meanwhile the Aldi store was welcomed as it promised to create 40 jobs.

Rosamund Barsley, who has lived in Newport for 44 years said there was a need for a "quality discount retailer".

Applicant George Brown said Aldi would "form part of a wider main food shop" so residents would still need to visit existing supermarkets for branded goods and the high street to visit specialist shops.