PLANS for a new Lidl discount supermarket in Barnard Castle have been submitted to Durham County Council.
Along with the 20,882sq ft store at the Addison auction house site on Staindrop Road, plans have also been lodged for a 15,000sq ft Home Bargains shop.
The developers, Consolidated Property Group (CPG), said in their planning application that the Lidl store would employ about 40 people.
They added that consideration had been given to other sites including Barnard Castle Auction Mart, in Vere Road, and Grove Works, on Queen Street, but were rejected because of access problems.
CPG’s managing director Martin Ridgway said: “The auction house site has been vacant for three years and this development will bring a prominent and accessible brownfield site back into use. At the public consultation held in the town centre in late November, the vast majority of those who attended supported the scheme and the proposed retailers given the lack of choice in the town.
“These new stores will help address local shopping requirements as it is evident that most people drive to Bishop Auckland to do their main shopping. The proposed scheme will therefore deliver significant environmental and sustainability benefits by increasing the options for shopping locally, potentially reducing the need for longer car-borne journeys and associated vehicle emissions” .
More details in next week’s Teesdale Mercury.
