Lidl plans new Shrewsbury store by football ground
Budget supermarket giant Lidl has announced plans to bring a new store to the outskirts of Shrewsbury.
The German chain will be unveiling plans for a new food store that it hopes to build in Oteley Road, next to Shrewsbury Town's Greenhous Meadow, which it says could create between 25 and 40 jobs.
The proposals will be revealed at a public exhibition next week, where town residents will be invited to give their feedback on what is planned.
A planning application for the store has yet to be submitted to Shropshire Council.
The new store is hoped to be built on land currently owned by Shrewsbury Town.
It will be on the same road where Waitrose is currently building a new store, next to Percy Thrower's Garden Centre, and close to the Meole Brace Retail Park where there is a large Sainsbury's supermarket and recently opened Marks and Spencer Food Hall.
However, Ed Whalley, senior acquisitions consultant at Lidl, said the new store would provide more diversity for shoppers.
He said: "The new store will give shoppers more choice locally, providing a high-quality offer at low prices.
"Up to 40 new jobs could also be created.
"We are keen to know what the local community thinks of the plans and I would encourage people to attend our public exhibition and provide feedback."
The firm intends to submit a planning application for a 15,000 sq ft net sales store in the coming weeks, he said.
The exhibition will be held in the Arthur Rowley Lounge at Shrewsbury Town's Greenhous Meadow next Friday, between 3pm and 7pm.
Members of the development team will be on hand to speak to members of the community and answer any questions during the exhibition, he said.
There is already one Lidl store in Shrewsbury, in Whitchurch Road to the north of town.
Lidl is also building a new supermarket in Oswestry on the site of the JT Hughes car dealership in Victoria Road.
Permission for that development has been granted by planning officers at Shropshire Council and the firm says it will bring the equivalent of 20 full-time jobs to Oswestry.
