Lidl have revealed when their new supermarket will be built in Oxfordshire.
The chain has been in talks for a substantial amount of time regarding a new store on Grove Road close to Wantage.
Lidl and GSC Estates first submitted their plans over two years ago, but they were rejected by Vale of White Horse District Council over concerns it would take up too much green space.
A new application was then submitted in February 2022, and was approved following mass public support with an announcement in October that construction would start in January 2023.
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With an opening date of early 2024, excitement was rife, but this was shelved as a Lidl spokesperson revealed planning conditions needed to be worked through before construction could start
Now a fresh and major update has been given by the supermarket chain with a timeframe put in place as to when the shop will be built.
A spokesperson for Lidl said: “Timelines are yet to be determined; however, we’ve successfully been working through planning conditions and are aiming to have started on site come the new year.”
Vale of White Council also issued an update on the forthcoming supermarket reminding that the planning application was approved in the summer but more stipulations have to be fulfilled.
A spokesperson from the council said: “The planning application was approved on July 16, 2024 (ref P23/V2709/S73), and there are some planning conditions that need to be discharged before development can commence on site.
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“We are not aware of the timescales for when the store is to be built or opened, these questions are better directed to Lidl.”
When pressed about what the planning conditions were, Vale of White Horse District Council revealed that there are three key issues under consideration.
“The following conditions are still outstanding and require to be discharged before development can commence on site,” added the council spokesperson.
“Sustainable drainage details, construction traffic management plan and biodiversity offsetting.”
Lidl also submitted the plans to the council at the start of December 2023 to increase the size of its future supermarket in Oxfordshire.
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The discount store giant requested to expand the floor space of the soon-to-be-built store near Wantage by an extra four square metres.
Andrew Holding, who founded the Lidl Wantage and Grove Supporters (WAGS) campaigner group, said at the time that the news was ‘fantastic’.
“It’s absolutely fantastic news for the whole community,” he said.
“Some people are disappointed it’s going to take so long because they see houses popping up so quickly but there’s a lot of work to be done – it’s not a house it’s a commercial premise.
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“We’d all like it built sooner but these things are a bit challenging, you never know what you will come up against in the building industry side of things.”
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