Plans to demolish Cardigan's B&M store and replace it with a Lidl supermarket are set to be recommended for approval by Ceredigion planners.
At Ceredigion County Council's development management committee meeting on November 11, members are being recommended to approve an application by Lidl Great Britain Limited (Lidl GB), through agent CarneySweeney, to construct a new supermarket on the site of the B&M Store in Aberystwyth Road.
Proposed Development Details
The proposals would see the existing buildings demolished to make way for a food store, complete with landscaping and 100 surface-level parking spaces. The development is anticipated to generate 40 new jobs.
A supporting statement accompanying a pre-application consultation launched last year, ahead of the formal scheme being submitted, said: "Lidl is now well established in the UK with the company operating 1,000 stores from sites and premises both within and outside town centres."
It added: "Its market share continues to increase substantially, and the company is expanding its store network considerably. The UK operational model is based firmly on the success of Lidl's operations abroad with more than 10,800 stores trading across Europe."
Community and Employment Impact
The statement continued: "Lidl primarily seeks to serve the immediate local community, both through its discounted shopping offer and by providing local employment opportunities. Lidl aims to employ up to 40 full-time staff, allowing them to offer a friendly and familiar service to their customers."
It also noted that most Lidl employees are recruited from the local area, and the proposals may create opportunities for temporary and indirect employment, with local labour potentially recruited during the construction phase.
The statement said the scale of the proposal has been designed to occupy current Lidl requirements as well as future proofing for changes to the overall shopping experience. It added that the proposed new Lidl store strives to reduce environmental impact both through its design and through Lidl's commitment to following best practices to minimise pollution during the construction phase.
Support and Objections
Cardigan Town Council has thrown its support behind the scheme, while Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water has raised no objections, provided a condition is met requiring upgrades to the Cardigan wastewater treatment works, which are anticipated to be finished by March 31 next year.
Seven members of the public lodged objections, raising concerns over visual and noise impacts, the privacy of neighbouring properties, and traffic implications.
An officer's report recommending approval at the November meeting notes that a significant planning consideration is that the site is currently in retail use and houses a large retail warehouse unit; the existing unit could be occupied and operated as a Lidl store without requiring explicit planning permission. The proposal would also result in a reduction in retail floor space compared with the current building.
Regarding amendments made following consultation, the report states: "It is relevant to note that the scheme has been amended significantly by the applicant and agent, in discussion with the local planning authority, to minimise the impact of the development on the amenity of the neighbouring occupants."
Planning officers have been advised to grant approval for the scheme under delegated powers once a planning agreement has been concluded.
Cardigan Town Council voted 7-4 in favour of the application, though a number of councillors raised concerns over whether the town could sustain yet another out-of-town supermarket.
