The arrival of a second budget supermarket in Didcot has been welcomed as planning officials gave the new store the go-ahead. Lidl has been given planning permission to build its ninth supermarket in Oxfordshire, despite concerns over flooding.
Aldi opened in Didcot in 2015 but shoppers in the town have waited over a decade for Lidl to follow. South Oxfordshire District Council has now backed plans by the German retailer for a new supermarket in the Abingdon Road.
The plans for the new supermarket were first submitted in 2024 with Didcot Town Council objecting to the scheme, on the grounds of a lack of flood risk mitigation measures, along with the County Council who said there was “insufficient information”. The Town Council noted there are “several flooding incidents in the area, especially when the Marsh Bridge water pumps fail”. A report by planning officers granting permission to the supermarket, says those issues have now been addressed by Lidl.
The officers said the proposals “largely accord” with the policies around planning, and more can be done to “break up” the car park with greenery. Planning officers chose to let Lidl build the new supermarket subject to conditions and said in a report “Balanced against this policy conflict is the fact that this is a previously developed site, which is currently in a dilapidated state. The proposals represent a significant improvement on the current underutilisation of the site and on its appearance. Previous enquiries as to the redevelopment of the site have not come to fruition so finding a viable use for the site is a clear benefit which I consider to be of substantial benefit.”
Thirty-four residents objected to Lidl’s plans, highlighting concerns over extra traffic, there being no need for another supermarket in the town and there being more appropriate locations to build in their view. Three people wrote in to support the new Lidl, recognising the benefits of a discount food store and the further jobs it will create.
Former Didcot mayor Mocky Khan said: “This gives the residents of Didcot more choice, especially when you consider the cost of living environment we have at the moment. The town is growing with more new homes being built, and with more growth it’s good to have a wide variety of supermarkets to fit all budgets.”
Didcot also has an Aldi store just off the Broadway, a Sainsbury’s, M&S Foodhall, Co-op, Tesco nearby and Asda at Great Western Park.
Lidl has said its proposals for a Didcot supermarket would deliver 40 full-time equivalent jobs as well as further employment during the construction phase. No opening date was given by the retailer, while the developer is currently on site progressing with the enabling works.
A spokesman said: “We’ve seen demand for our affordable, high-quality products continue to rise in Oxfordshire, and we are committed to serving more communities in the area. Our new store will create around 40 new jobs and build on our continued growth. We’re excited to be a step closer to opening this store and thank everyone who has supported us on our journey so far.”
It also said the £12m investment would work with the 6,300 new homes allocated to be built, as per the local plan.