New Lidl Store Amendments Approved

Amendments to a recently-granted scheme for a replacement Lidl store in Milford Haven, which will be nearly a half bigger and employ up to 40 people, have been approved by county planners.

In October, Lidl Great Britain Limited was given conditional approval to demolish the existing Lidl foodstore and adjoining properties – including the Enterprise Rent-a-Car unit – at Great North Road, Milford Haven, building a new Lidl foodstore with associated works.

A supporting statement through agent CarneySweeney said: “The existing Lidl store is small and of an early generation format. Owing to Lidl’s well-established and growing local customer base, Lidl has outgrown its existing premises which no longer meets modern shopper requirements, and a larger store is sought to better serve local customer demand.

“In addition, the existing store is inefficient with regards to warehouse operations. The proposal for a new store aims to alleviate the problems presented by the existing store.”

The application said the development would create up to 40 jobs.

The car park will provide 93 spaces, including six disabled spaces, nine ‘parent & child’ spaces and two EV charging spaces, an increase in overall provision of 11 spaces.

After approval, with a long string of conditions, Lidl has sought to vary some of them, recently applying for the “discharge of conditions,” amendments relating to the Construction & Environment Management Plan (CEMP), details of external lighting and surface water drainage, a site assessment report condition, and a remediation scheme condition.

No issues were raised by Pembrokeshire planning officers in the early ‘discharge’ of the conditions, but Milford Haven Town council had objected.

A report by planning officers said: “Milford Haven TC, whilst supporting the principle of the site’s redevelopment to provide a new foodstore, have objected to the applications to discharge [the conditions].

“However, following correspondence it is apparent that the objections are based on a misunderstanding, that is that the applications seek to remove the conditions in their entirety.

“The purpose of the applications has been clarified with the town council which has responded by stating: ‘The town council unanimously voted on their position on this subject at full council so I cannot change this decision. As originally stated – MHTC support the overall project and original application; however the wording of these further ‘discharge’ matters are best decided upon at county level’.”

The amendments to conditions have been conditionally approved by county planners.