Go-ahead given for new Lidl store

PATCHWAY’S new Lidl has been given the green light despite concerns about pedestrian access.

The 2,125 sq metre store on vacant land in Northfield Park is set to employ 40 people and serve the new communities at Charlton Hayes and on Filton Airfield.

The development was unanimously approved by South Gloucestershire Council’s strategic sites committee.

Glen Stidever, representing the German supermarket chain, said: “This is a sign of our continued investment in South Gloucestershire after the construction of Kingswood’s hugely popular store in 2017 and our new distribution centre in Severn Beach, which has created over 200 jobs.”

Mr Stidever said the Patchway store will redevelop a brownfield site that has been vacant for many years and create another 40 jobs.

He said had been backed by a petition signed by 858 people and some 332 letters of support.

Addressing concerns that the site - within the Filton Enterprise Area - would not be used for offices as was originally envisaged, Mr Stidever said Lidl has set aside two parcels of land for office space that it will “aggressively” market for eight years. It will also put the infrastructure in place to more them more attractive.

The meeting heard that Hayes Way has not yet been formally adopted by South Gloucestershire Council, and it is waiting for developer Bovis Homes to build a bridge and install a crossing that would link Charlton Hayes with the Lidl site.

An officer told the meeting that “significant” progress was being made on the safe crossings.