Work has started on a site in Sandford, Dorset, after the government approved planning permission for a new Lidl supermarket, which could be open by Christmas 2025.
The budget supermarket, to be built just off the Sibley Pottery roundabout, has got the backing of the government’s secretary of state for housing, communities and local government Angela Rayner, who agreed with Dorset Council’s decision to grant planning permission.
A team is making the site secure while protected reptiles are moved to a new home
Ecology team is now on site
Dorset Council planning committee chair David Tooke used his casting vote to give the supermarket his blessing in November 2024 after councillors were split by controversial plans for the 1,411 square metre store to serve Purbeck.
But because its size was over the threshold for development within green belt land, the approval still had to be cleared by the government.
An ecology team employed by Lidl has now moved onto the site on the A351, to make sure that protected reptiles living there are relocated before building work can begin.
But that task is expected to be completed by May 2025, and if construction teams are on site by June, with an average build time for a new supermarket of 26 weeks, then it is possible that Lidl could open its doors to shoppers by Christmas 2025.
Building work is expected to begin on the Sandford site by June 2025
“Found slow worms and common lizards”
An officer from the ecological consultancy RPS is currently on site to make sure that all reptiles in the area are protected and moved to another similar site in Sandford.
The officer said:
“We have placed mats down which the reptiles will use in the morning to warm up as the sun comes out. We come each day for at least a 30 day period to check the mats, collect anything we find underneath them and then transfer them to another site, just 10 minutes away.
“We need to continue doing that, in good weather, until there are at least five consecutive days when we don’t find anything underneath the mats.
“We have found slow worms and common lizards so far, but when we have five clear days that will hopefully mean that we have removed the population of reptiles from the field.
“I also have to be here whenever there is any drilling or when the ground is broken – there’s a team putting up boarding at the moment to make this a secure site.”
The aim still remains to have Sandford Lidl trading by Christmas 2025
New store to create 40 jobs
A spokesperson for Lidl said:
“The secretary of state approved the planning permission for the new Lidl Store. We are working very hard in the background doing all the reptile mitigation works and additional surveys required, and we hope to start on site mid-year.”
The new Lidl will become the only discount supermarket in Purbeck, preventing the need for Swanage residents to drive a 34 mile round trip to Aldi in Upton, or further to Asda or Tesco stores in Poole.
Lidl says the new Sandford store will create 40 new local jobs, and will include the supermarket’s well-regarded bakery and its popular middle aisle, 112 car parking spaces with two EV charging spots, cycle parking and solar panels on the store roof.
Lidl spokesperson James Mitchell said thousands of locals were crying out for an affordable supermarket
“Affordable goods for local residents”
James Mitchell, regional head of property for Lidl, said:
“I am delighted that the application has been cleared by the government’s department for housing, communities and local government, and we will now be working really hard to deliver the scheme as soon as we can.
“The new Lidl will provide affordable goods for local residents, remove the need to travel further afield to satisfy basic shopping needs, and reduce vehicle mileage by over 1.5 million miles a year, saving over 400 tons of carbon.
“These substantial benefits outweigh any potential harm. The land achieves very few green belt objectives and is more of a natural infill site – we saw thousands of residents support the scheme and cry out for improved facilities.
“More than 4,000 residents responded to Lidl’s consultation with 3,200 supporting the scheme – and of those who didn’t agree, only 1.5 percent cited loss of green belt land as a reason for their objection.”
The layout of the new Sandford Lidl store
Concern over traffic
Lidl has said that it will keep existing trees along the boundaries of the site and will also enhance landscaping near the Pottery Lines properties.
Access to the store will be off the Sibley Pottery roundabout, which will be redesigned.
Some local councillors and residents are concerned that the new supermarket will create additional congestion along the already busy A351.
The issue about traffic was looked at by Dorset Council highways department twice but it concluded that while traffic could increase, it wouldn’t be to a level which would constitute a reason to object to the planning permission.
The Sibley Pottery roundabout will have a new access road to Lidl
