Lidl blocked from opening new branch in Swaffham
It would have been the town’s first Lidl
One of the UK’s biggest supermarket chains has been blocked from opening a new Norfolk branch.
Breckland Council has refused plans for the demolition of empty warehouses in Swaffham to make way for the town’s first Lidl supermarket.
The retailer hoped to demolish the former Sequin Art buildings in Castle Acre Road to make way for a new branch after identifying the town as one of its priority locations for expansion.
However, officials at Breckland Council said the authority had not received sufficient detail about the planned demolition and restoration of the site.
Rumours about the new supermarket had been growing after notices were posted at locations surrounding the buildings last month.
The site is directly opposite a large Tesco supermarket in Brocks Road and had previously been used by family-run crafts business Sequin Art.
Lidl revealed four priority Norfolk locations for new stores last year in Holt, Swaffham, Diss and Aylsham, but these are all yet to be built.
The closest stores to Swaffham are currently in Watton and Dereham, where plans for an even larger branch have recently been given the green light.
The former Busseys car dealership site in Yaxham Road will be demolished to make way for a new store to replace its current shop in Kingston Road.
The proposals were taken back to the drawing board last summer after concerns were raised about congestion on the roads surrounding the site.
However, the revised plans have now been granted permission for development by Breckland Council.
The arrival of big brands into Swaffham has lately been controversial after plans for the town’s first Greggs bakery were met with strong opposition.
More than 1,000 people have signed a petition in support of local firm Wellbread Bakers, a family-run business that many fear will be forced to close if Greggs is given the go-ahead.