Lidl 27

Lidl UK is set to build its 12th regional distribution centre (RDC) in East Devon, following the submission of a planning application to build the 500,000 sq ft warehouse on a site at Clyst Honiton.

The application follows the purchase of the site in February. Lidl said the development would create up to 500 new jobs for the area.

It is hoping to receive planning permission from East Devon District Council by the end of June and plans to start work on site shortly after. The DC should then be operational by September 2017.

The retailer said the DC would incorporate state-of-the-art low-energy design, including maximising solar gain to reduce light energy consumption, high-performance building fabric, low-energy lighting design and a high-efficiency heating plan running a refrigeration waste heat recovery system.

The supermarket currently has nine operational RDCs across the country, servicing its 630 stores in England, Scotland and Wales. It is currently developing two further sites in Southampton and Wednesbury.

“It’s incredibly encouraging that our sales growth is consistently outperforming the market, but this requires a solid infrastructure that enables us to cope with growing customer demand,” said Lidl UK head of warehouse expansion Adrienne Howells.

“A new regional distribution centre in East Devon will help to alleviate pressure on our other warehouses which are currently servicing the region, and will support new stores that we hope to open across the South West in the coming years. We are of course delighted that this will lead to considerable investment and job creation in the area, and very much hope that the outcome of the application is positive.”