By John Wimperis, Local Democracy Reporter: Lidl has submitted a fresh planning application to build a new supermarket in Bath.
Controversial plans to build a Lidl on a field off London Road on the eastern edge of the city were withdrawn by the budget supermarket chain last July. The company said at the time that it was committed to opening a store in the city and would submit an improved application once it had carried out highways surveys and other work.
Now, new plans for a store in the same place have been submitted. Lidl said the plans had been designed to mitigate any impact on traffic on London Road, which had been a key concern about the previous proposal.
Glen Stidever, Lidl’s regional head of property, said: “This store has been a major focus for our team, and we have worked tirelessly to ensure that it not only meets the growing demand for affordable, high-quality grocery products but also fits seamlessly into the local environment, resulting in the best experience possible for both local residents and our customers.
“Through extensive consultation and careful planning, we have revised our proposals in key areas such as design, traffic management, and landscaping to create a store that is truly befitting of the location and safe and accessible for all. We believe this revised plan will provide even greater benefits for the local community, and we look forward to receiving further feedback as we move towards the planning determination later this year.”
The new Lidl would create up to 40 jobs. As well as “significant updates” to traffic management, new landscaping has been included and an updated retail assessment which Lidl said confirmed that it would not have a significant negative impact on nearby shopping areas.
Currently, the only budget supermarket in Bath is the existing Lidl on the Lower Bristol Road on the far side of town. The company said being able to drive to a closer supermarket on London Road was predicted to reduce customer’s mileage by 29%, helping to reduce 82 tonnes of carbon a year.
But the store will also contain covered bicycle and cargo bicycle parking and eight eclectic vehicle charging points. There would be two signalled crossings for pedestrian access, one across London Road and one across the lane into the car park.
A statement from Lidl said: “The store has been thoughtfully designed to blend seamlessly with its surroundings, with a focus on the use of Bath stone and natural timber cladding. To further integrate with the landscape, the store will feature a living green roof alongside solar panels, contributing to both Lidl ‘s and the local authority’s sustainability goals.
“Inside, customers will enjoy Lidl’s popular in-store bakery, middle aisle, self-scanning checkouts, and convenient customer toilets with baby-changing facilities. The site will benefit from an acoustically enclosed loading bay, living green fencing, and a significant amount of new tree and hedge planting, enhancing both the visual appeal and environmental value of the area. Landscaping and habitat enhancements will lead to a biodiversity net gain of over 40%, far exceeding national and local policy requirements, and contributing positively to the local environment.”
The original plan faced a protest when the plans were unveiled. One member of the public discussing his conflicting feelings at the consultation said the site on which the supermarket would be built had become an “inadvertent nature reserve.” In total, 1,194 people lodged objections to the plans on Bath and North East Somerset Council’s planning portal. 402 people lodged comments in support.
You can view and comment on the new planning application here: https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/webforms/planning/details.html?refval=25%2F01403%2FFUL#details_Section
Bath Voice and Local Democracy Reporters
The journalists are funded by the BBC as part of its latest Charter commitment, but are employed by regional news organisations. A total of 165 reporters are allocated to news organisations in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland including Bath Voice. These organisations range from television and radio stations to online media companies and established regional newspaper groups. Local Democracy Reporters cover top-tier local authorities, second-tier local authorities and other public service organisations.
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