A plan has been lodged for a new Lidl supermarket and drive through coffee shop in Everton to the objection of Sainsbury's.
An application has been submitted to build a new Lidl, and a Tim Horton’s coffee shop, on land around Great Homer Street, Skirving Street and Jennifer Avenue. A 1,400sqm retail store would be constructed on the plot, with 113 car parking spaces, including electric vehicle, accessible and parent and child spaces.
The Tim Horton’s cafe will be situated on the north west corner of the site, with an ancillary drive through and 24 car parking spaces. However the plans have been opposed by Sainsbury’s, which has a store nearby as well as Derwent Group, operators of the Liverpool Shopping Park on Edge Lane Drive.
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A document presented to Liverpool Council ’s planning committee said Sainsbury’s have “serious concerns” that a new Lidl would impact its own store, would be “in direct competition” with it and would be “drawing significant and essential trade/turnover from it.”
The national retailer also stated its opposition to the plans as it has “only recently invested and opened the new store which acts as a key/important anchor for the district centre.” Derwent Group said the new store would place “additional pressure upon the defined centre of Great Homer Street which has been recognised as a Mayoral priority for regeneration.”
The group added that Sainsbury’s role as an anchor tenant on the retail park, is “is crucial and the linked trips from the anchor significantly boosts the vitality of the remainder of the centre; the loss of considerable linked trips will also result in indirect impacts upon the centre.”
Despite objections, council officers have recommended the application be approved, subject to Lidl entering into a legal agreement. The report by officers said that “it has been proven and accepted that there are no sequentially preferable sites within centres to accommodate the proposal, and that the retail impact is not considered significantly adverse.”
A total of eight responses were received in support of the application, claiming that the new supermarket would offer good competition, represented welcome development for the area and would bring jobs and improvements to the general location. Councillors will consider the application at Liverpool Town Hall on Tuesday.
