Discount store chain Lidl reveals plans for another site
Discount food retailer Lidl says it has no doubts that Shrewsbury can support two of its stores.
Ed Whalley, acquisitions manager at the chain, said he was confident the demand would be there for the store off Oteley Road – despite there already being two supermarkets in the south of the town and another one being built.
He pointed to plans for Shrewsbury's Southern Urban extension that will include more than 500 new homes as a sign that there would be a need for the new store in the coming years – and said there was currently no discount chain trading in the area.
The company's proposals to build a new supermarket on land next to Shrewsbury Town Football Club were put on display at a consultation event on Friday.
The proposal is to build a 15,000 square foot shop on land currently owned by the football club between Oteley Road, the club's car park, and the Powerleague pitches.
The company already runs one store next to Harlescott Crossroads in the north of the town.
Mr Whalley said: "There is no discount offer in the whole south of Shrewsbury. For us Shrewsbury is certainly big enough in terms of population to support more than one Lidl store and certainly more than one discount store.
"We have had a lot of people attend today who say it is great because they do not have to drive to Harlescott for their shopping."
The proposal is to construct a store which would be about twice the size of Lidl's Harlescott store. A planning application is likely to be submitted to Shropshire Council in December.
The company estimates that about 25 to 40 part and full time jobs would be created by the store and that the car park will contain 142 spaces.
Mr Whalley admitted that questions remain over how the access to the store – off the roundabout immediately after entering the football club car park – will operate on match days.
He said that people would be able to park for 90 minutes without charge, a move which is designed to prevent football supporters using the car park on matchdays.
About 40 people had attended the consultation event and Mr Whalley said the response to the plans has been largely positive.
If planning permission is approved then the earth bund which currently surrounds the land will be lowered meaning people can see the store from Oteley Road.
Earlier this year Lidl was granted planning permission to build a new shop at Victoria Road in Oswestry, although it also lost out on a bid to open a new store in Welshpool when Powys Council Council rejected its application.
