LIDL GB has submitted a planning application to Thurrock Council following significant community support for its proposed modern discount store that would serve Tilbury and Chadwell St Mary.
With nearly 1,400 responses received during Lidl’s public consultation, which included a drop-in exhibition and a freepost feedback survey, 96% of respondents were in favour of the new store. Residents welcomed the increased shopping choice, Lidl’s best value pricing, and the convenient location for households in Tilbury and Chadwell St Mary with one local commenting the new store “can’t come soon enough”.
With only an ASDA on the outskirts of Thurrock and several smaller convenience stores, residents in Tilbury and Chadwell St Mary are travelling as far as 7 miles to Ockendon, or Grays, to access a discount supermarket. This is both costly in time and fuel, during a period when many household budgets are already under increasing pressure. Additionally, respondents have said the store “would be very beneficial to those who do not drive” with several highlighting the positive impact the new store would have for elderly members of the community or those who struggle to afford transport.
Located off St Chad’s Road in Tilbury, the Lidl store would be built to the discounters’ latest specifications. After being named Which? Greenest Supermarket last year, its proposal aims to achieve a biodiversity net gain on the site via enhanced landscaping, while there would also be solar panels on the roof to help capture energy for the store. The plans also boast a variety of bicycle and car parking spaces, including rapid charge electric vehicle charging. Inside, the store would feature the famous ‘middle of Lidl’ aisle offering discounts on a wide range of items, as well as Lidl’s award-winning instore bakery.
Lidl GB’s Regional Head of Property, Jason Buckley, said: “We have been overwhelmed with the level of community support for a new Lidl store in Tilbury and Chadwell St Mary. Having spoken with many residents during this consultation, it is clear that increased local and affordable shopping choice, alongside new jobs and investment in Tilbury is very much welcomed. Now that plans have been submitted, we encourage as many as possible to make sure their voices are heard by writing to Thurrock Council”.
Lidl’s planning application can be commented on Thurrock Council’s planning portal here: https://www.thurrock.gov.uk/search-planning-records/planning-records-online and by searching for: 23/01150/FUL. If anyone has any questions, they can also contact Lidl’s project consultation team at: [email protected].
As the UK’s fastest growing supermarket1, Lidl’s unparalleled quality-value combination has been winning customers over from across the country for nearly 30 years. This has been reinforced time and again through independent analysis, with both Which? and The Grocer’s latest price comparisons naming the discounter as the cheapest supermarket for a basket of everyday items.
