Work set to start on city centre Lidl supermarket
IT has been a big year for Lidl in Bristol, with the German retailer finally launching its new store in Longwell Green in October.
This followed hot on the heels of its Patchway shop, which opened at the back end of 2019.
These two new openings took Lidl’s portfolio of Bristol branches up to 12 - but there are more to come.
Next year the chain is opening another new store in the city and expanding one of its existing supermarkets.
Lidl confirmed in November that it would be opening a new supermarket in Union Street, in the unit formerly home to H&M and next to the Odeon cinema.
It will be the retailer’s first store in the city centre.
It was first revealed in August that Lidl had plans to open a new supermarket in place of the outgoing clothes shop, after a notice for a premises licence application appeared outside.
And the company confirmed it had secured permission from Bristol City Council to go ahead with its plans three months later.
A Lidl spokesperson told the Post last month that work was due to begin on the new supermarket early in 2021.
They said: “We are pleased to confirm that we have received planning consent for the store on Union Street, as only minor elevation enhancements were required, and we are looking to begin construction on site early in the new year, with a view to opening later next summer.
“We look forward to updating the local community further in the near future.”
Alongside launching a new store in the centre, Lidl is also planning to expand its existing Lawrence Hill store in Church Road.
A Lidl spokesperson told the Post that work is “due to start on site in early 2021” with the local community being “updated in due course”.
Lidl’s Lawrence Hill supermarket is one of the smallest in its entire portfolio.
Planning documents submitted to Bristol City Council state: “The Lawrence Hill store is one of the smallest Lidl currently operates and this has an impact on the function and efficiency.
“Whilst the store stocks a full range of goods, the sales space devoted to the sale of certain goods is limited.
“Both the sales floor and the warehouse areas are, therefore, cramped and congested and below the high standards that Lidl strives to offer.”
Floor space at the branch, including the retail and storage areas, will increase from 1,082m2 to 1,538m2 after the work is completed.
Five more jobs will be created as a result of the expansion, said Lidl.