Lidl bid for new UK location rejected

Lidl had hoped to build a 1,093 m² store at the new Ropemaker Park development in Hailsham (UK) near Brighton, but the town has rejected the hard discount retailer's bid. The reason given was that the location was too far from the town centre.

Kelvin Williams, head of planning and building control, said Lidl had failed to demonstrate that no alternative site closer to the town centre could be found for the store. The district council said the application breached the Government's national planning policy guidance and "…did not consider use of the site, designated for industrial use, as a supermarket was justified."

Williams added that the firm's plans for 51 parking spaces was "insufficient." Former town mayor Nick Ellwood said, "I have nothing against Lidl because obviously there is a demand for that kind of store in the town; but to have any retail store of that size out of the town is not good for the town centre."

Controller Bill Crittenden, vice-chairman of the town council planning panel, hoped the refusal would not spell the end of Lidl's plans. He stated, "We are not against Lidl coming into Hailsham but did not consider it was the right position to be there. It has got to be a suitable site."

Marco Ivone, marketing/PR manager at Lidl UK, would not say if there would be an appeal. He only commented that: "We need to wait until we receive all the relevant information before any decision is made on which course of action to take."