Lidl signed up to £20m Skem plans
THE developer behind the new Skelmersdale Town Centre project has agreed a deal with a supermarket giant.
St Modwenhas revealed plans for Lidl to be the “anchor” for its £20m regeneration scheme in Skelmersdale town centre.
The Lidl store, which is to be located in the heart of the development, will occupy a 20,800 sq ft unit and represents a multi-million-pound investment, according to the developer.
The store will feature an instore bakery and parking for customers.
St Modwen is working in partnership with West Lancashire Borough Council and Homes England to build the extension to the town centre.
The project aims to incorporate a variety of leisure, retail and public spaces, which will bring together essential components for the transformation of Skelmersdale.
Although no date has been set for work to begin, the partners consider the agreement with Lidl to be a major boost for the scheme.
St Modwen first made clear its intentions to begin construction work in the town in 2007 and in 2012 outline plans were submitted for a regeneration of the town centre.
The company became embroiled in a legal battle with Skelmersdale Limited Partnership, which owns the Concourse shopping centre, but the High
Court ruled in St Modwen’s favour in December 2016.
Under the proposals, a new high street will link the existing town centre to West Lancashire College, environmental improvements will be made to the Tawd Valley at the heart of the scheme, and a new night time economy will be introduced with 100,000 sq ft of retail and leisure, including a cinema operated by Reel.
Paul Batho, development director at St Modwen said: “It is really positive news that we can now announce Lidl as our food retail anchor for the Skelmersdale scheme.
“This is an integral part of a long-awaited regeneration programme and we are really pleased with the prospect of bringing a new retailer to the town centre.”
The planned store would add to Lidl’s existing store portfolio of 700, and will form part of the company’s growth plans, under which it intends to open in the region of 50 new stores each year
Lidl UK’s regional head of property, Stuart Jardine, added: “We are delighted with the prospect of opening a new store in Skelmersdale, which would mark another milestone in our ambitious store expansion programme.
“We’ve seen incredible demand for Lidl stores across the country and look forward to offering our quality products and incredible value to shoppers in and around Skelmersdale.”