News: Plans in for new Rotherham Lidl

A planning application has been submitted for a new retail foodstore in Rotherham by German global discount chain, Lidl.

Rothbiz reported first on Lidl bringing forward plans for a new store that would create around 40 jobs on land at Dalton.

Lidl was founded in Germany in the 1930's and has grown consistently, now operating over 10,000 stores in 27 countries. Launching in the UK in September 1994, Lidl today has 670 stores here - with one on the edge of Rotherham town centre.

The proposed new store is on the site of Dalton Progressive Working Men's Club where the building was vacated after the club fell into administration in 2016. The property burnt down in February and the site of proposed store includes land to the north and west of the demolished building.

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The plans, drawn up by consultants at Walshingham Planning, state: "The proposal will provide an improvement to the quantitative and qualitative convenience goods offer within Dalton by providing a discount retailer to serve the local catchment area. The development will provide increased consumer choice in price and products, enhance healthy competition and productivity, as well as meeting the needs of the whole community.

"The new Lidl foodstore will significantly enhance the current physical appearance of the site and surrounding local centre.

"The proposal will secure the development of a previously developed site on a key arterial route between Rotherham Town Centre and Conisbrough. The proposed scheme will bring the site into intensive economic use, creating up to 40 new jobs and enhancing the vitality and viability of the local area in a sustainable way."

Set back from the road, the plans show a new 23,700 sq ft "modern and attractive neighbourhood foodstore" with a sales area of 14,200 sq ft, generating an estimated turnover of £7.12m.

127 parking spaces are featured in the plans and assessments over transport and noise are included, as is a scheme for landscaping around the development.

The design of the scheme is based on Lidl's latest concept model which is currently in the process of rolling out across the UK. The design from SMR Architects includes a glazed façade to the south elevation facing Doncaster Road.

Part of the site has been earmarked for residential use in the emerging local plan and the applicants have included details on why the use for a retail store instead of housing would not "detrimentally impact on the Council's ability to meet its housing needs during the remaining Plan period."

On the need for another discount retailer in the area, the applicant believes that the demand is there as current local stores are trading well, adding that the Aldi at Parkgate is "trading more than three times above benchmark levels."

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A sequential test was not considered necessary but as the site is not within a designated town centre (the site falls partly within and partly on the edge of the local centre), a retail impact assessment has been carried out which shows how the store would divert trade away from retailers in surrounding areas.

The applicants conclude: "We do not believe that the proposed development will have a significant adverse impact on the vitality and viability of any designated centres."

It is assumed that the proposed foodstore development will be completed within the next 18 months.

According to analysts, Kantar Worldpanel, Lidl has seen year-on-year sales growth of 10.3% to reach a 5.3% share of the market. Lidl bosses have previously discussed its aggressive expansion with a plan to roll-out "at least one shop a week" with investment of £1.45bn up to 2019.

Lidl website

Images: Lidl / Walshingham Planning / SMR