Lidl to submit Oswestry plans

Plans for a new discount supermarket in a town in Shropshire will be submitted within weeks.

Lidl has said if the plans for a new store in Oswestry go through without any delays, it should open its doors in 18 months' time.

The discount chain announced its plans to build on the site of the current JT Hughes showroom in Victoria Road at a consultation held in the town earlier this week.

Christian Hawley, property director for Lidl, said: "We're at the pre-application stage and hope to be submitting our application within the next four weeks.

"Usually we would say we'll start work as soon as possible, but on this occasion it is slightly different as we need JT Hughes to move out first so that will take about 12 months and then we would start on site.

"The store should be open a further six months after that, so 18 months total time."

JT Hughes is expected to move to a new purpose-built site elsewhere in the town. So far it has not announced where it will be or when the business will be moving.

Mr Hawley said the consultation on Wednesday was a useful exercise for the company.

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He said: "The purpose of the consultation was to hear the concerns and issues of local people that we can address before submitting our planning application.

"An example of that has been parking for the cemetery next door to the site. That's been the highest concern of many people."

The new supermarket will create the equivalent of 20 full time jobs and will be part of a complex of four shops which are expected to create a total of 60 jobs.

Mr Hawley said there will be a variety of contracts available to new employees.

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"We generally find that a lot of our staff there will always be the work if they ask for more hours," he said.

"We will have full time jobs for managers and supervisors, and a range of contracts from 20 hours for part time staff.

"We will not be offering any zero hours contracts."