New Lidl store returns to planning committee following Tesco objection

The retail impact of a new Lidl store in Beccles is to be discussed following an objection from nearby Tesco.

In April, Waveney District Council’s planning committee voted unanimously in favour of Lidl UK’s plans to redevelop the site of Carcom Bodywork and Beccles Car Centre in Common Lane North.

However just hours before the committee met it received an objection on behalf of Tesco suggesting the retail impact work conducted by the discount supermarket was too superficial to rule out harm to the town centre.

Due to this, an impact assessment was carried out by a retail expert working on behalf of the Local Planning Authority.

The planning committee will meet tonight (Tuesday, August 14) and as the assessment concluded “no material harm” was seen by the addition of the store a report to the committee recommends that planning permission is again approved.

The store is expected to be open to the public in around a year and it will create 44 full-time jobs for local people. It will feature 1,325 square metres of retail floor space and include 115 free customer parking spaces.