Lidl announces plans to extend one of its Lancashire stores

Retail giant Lidl is looking to extend one of its Lancashire stores to give shoppers a better experience.
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The German chain, which has more than 20 supermarkets in the county, has put in a second planning request to increase the size of its store in Clitheroe to provide a bakery and a freezer area.

The application is a resubmission of an expansion proposal which Ribble Valley Council approved back in 2017. That project did not go ahead and the planning approval lapsed.

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Now Lidl have returned to the council with a slightly larger scheme for an increase of around 10 per cent in the Shawbridge Street store's tradable area.

Lidl wants to extend its store in Clitheroe.Lidl wants to extend its store in Clitheroe.
Lidl wants to extend its store in Clitheroe.

"Lidl are constantly reviewing their existing store estate," says a report to the council's planning committee. "And as part of this process are continually seeking to improve their store offer for customers.

"The proposal facilitates the modernising of the store, creating a functional and aesthetic consistency between Lidl's Clitheroe store and the design of the company's new food stores known as 'New Store Concept' which is currently being brought forward across the country."

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The store, built 12 years ago, currently covers 1,315 square metres, with a tradable area of 992sqm. Lidl want to increase the footprint to 1,690sqm and 1,102sqm, fractionally bigger than the plans approved by the council five years ago.

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In their planning statement, the company said the "marginal" increase in the floor area was needed as part of Lidl's "ongoing business-wide review."

The planning application also asks for permission to provide nine additional parking spaces for staff who currently park in customer areas.

"As a result of the development, nine staff parking spaces will be relocated to the dedicated staff car park at the south-western end of the site," says the report.

"This will, in effect, increase the capacity of the main car park for the use of shoppers.

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"The proposed extension (of the store) is likely to encourage existing customers to spend marginally longer shopping in the store than attract additional traffic.

"The car park, as existing, has sufficient capacity to accommodate the slight increase in car parking demand.

"The development will enhance and improve the shopping opportunity at the Lidl food store in line with their national store improvement programme."