Construction of the new Lidl supermarket at Sandford near Wareham in Dorset is progressing and now work is about to begin to build an access road to the new car park.
Roadworks to create the new access off the Sibley Pottery roundabout on the A351 are scheduled to take place from Wednesday 22nd October to Friday 5th December 2025, and are expected to cause traffic disruption.
A new wide, bell mouth entrance to the store will be built off the Sibley Pottery roundabout once the inconveniently positioned electricity pole is removed
Store not expected to open until 2026
The budget supermarket was granted full planning permission in March 2025 and construction work started in June 2025.
While it was hoped the new Lidl would be built in time for Christmas it’s now not expected to be open until the new year in 2026.
Work to the roundabout and road verge
- Construction of a new wide entrance to the Lidl site
- Installation of tactile paving – a specially designed surface feature to assist visually impaired pedestrians
- Modifications to existing traffic islands
- New footpaths and improvements to existing pedestrian routes
- Installation of storm and foul sewer drainage systems
The pedestrian route to the supermarket will be improved including tactile paving and new bollards
The new supermarket is taking shape
“Significant disruption is expected”
A spokesperson for Dorset Council highways department said:
“To safely manage the work zone, multi-way traffic lights will be in operation throughout the works. The signals will be manually controlled from 7 am to 7 pm, seven days a week, to help ease congestion and respond to real-time traffic conditions.
“However, as significant disruption is expected, particularly during peak travel times, road users are urged to plan alternative routes or travel off-peak where possible, and allow extra time for journeys.”
Traffic disruption expected on the route from Swanage and Wareham to Holton Heath and Poole
The electricity poles are being removed and the cable buried in the ground to make room for the new entrance, paid for by Lidl
Utility company improvements
While the roadworks are taking place, utility companies are taking the opportunity to make improvements to their services.
Additional work taking place
- Southern Gas Networks (SGN) – removal and replacement of an old gas pipe with a new plastic pipe to safely re-route the gas supply
- Scottish and Southern Electricity (SSE) – move overhead power lines underground by digging trenching along the pavement and grass verge
- Vodafone – divert a communications duct and line beneath the new roundabout accessway
Egg jokes are a Lidl speciality!
Further information
- The works will be carried out by Gould Groundworks. To raise questions in relation to the works, contact ben@groundworks.co.uk
- More about Lidl
