Budget supermarket with 960 UK locations to close branch – but it’s not all bad news for shoppers

A SUPERMARKET chain with stores across the UK is closing down a branch – but it’s not entirely bad news.

Lidl has put its outlet at West Point Shopping Centre in Chilwell, Nottinghamshire, on the market for £1.5million.

Shoppers at the bargain supermarket needn’t worry too much though as a new store is opening up just a mile away in Long Eaton.

The new store is currently being built, along with a branch of Wickes, at a four-acre site called Stadium Trade Park.

The former industrial site has been derelict since 2014.

The new Lidl store, which will be bigger and have a 157-space car park, is due to open its doors in the summer next year.

A spokesperson for Lidl said the Chilwell site will not close until the new store has opened.

Jobs will be transferred to the new site.

Plans had originally been submitted by Lidl and Clowes Developments in 2018 but Erewash Borough Council had turned them down on the grounds that other preferable sites had not yet been considered and it could have an adverse impact on the town centre.

Concerns were also raised at the time that the new shops could harm the appearance of that stretch of road, the reports.

After the plans had been rejected, Lidl said 298 local residents had written to them saying they wanted the development to go ahead.

The rejection was overturned on appeal in 2020.

A government planning inspector said the two stores would only divert a small proportion of trade from Long Eaton town centre and that the town’s retail was “robust enough” to withstand the impact.

The design of the development was also altered, including a change to the shape of the Wickes store, from square to rectangle, with the inclusion of a mezzanine floor which will be used for displaying kitchens and bathrooms, along with customer seating, an interview area for the design team and toilets.

The Chilwell store is currently up for sale with commercial property agents FHP.

West Point Shopping Centre is also home to a Tesco Express, George's fish and chip shop, Birds Bakery, Espresso coffee shop and a Marie Curie Charity Shop.