LIDL has its sights set on building another new store in Barnsley that will create up to 40 jobs.
The budget grocery chain is expected to submit plans to Barnsley Council in the coming months for the former William Freeman rubber factory site on Wakefield Road at Mapplewell.
A public consultation was held in the village yesterday to reveal the proposals and gauge public opinion ahead of making a formal application to council planners.
It comes as Lidl confirmed on Wednesday that it had exchanged contracts with land owner Pipestone Limited, securing the new site.
A spokesman for Lidl, which already has stores in Barnsley town centre and at Wombwell, said it has committed to building a sustainable store which will cover a 9,096 sqm site, with plans to create up to 40 new jobs in the area.
He said the supermarket will boast state-of-the-art facilities including a bakery, customer toilets and parking for both cars and bicycles.
Pipestone Limited own the site on Wakefield Road which used to be home to the William Freeman ‘Suba Seal’ works before it went into administration more than a decade ago.
The planned store in Mapplewell will add to Lidl’s existing portfolio of 680, and will form part of the company’s growth plans which hopes to see it open between 50 to 60 stores a year.
Graham Burr, Lidl UK’s regional head of property, said: “We are delighted to be opening a new store on Wakefield Road, which marks another milestone in our ambitious store expansion programme.
“We’ve seen incredible demand for Lidl stores across the country and look forward to offering our quality products and incredible value to shoppers in and around Mapplewell.”
A spokesman for Pipestone Limited added: “We are delighted to have worked closely with Lidl to bring about the first phase of an exciting new retail and residential development for Mapplewell, and will be submitting our own planning application for new homes on the balance of the old factory site in the near future.”
Pipestone already has planning permission for housing on a plot of land close by on the western side of Wakefield Road which was met with fierce objection before receiving permission in 2014.
The Pipestone Limited spokesman said: “Our long term development plan is to bring much needed construction jobs, neighbourhood facilities and new homes for the community.”
Plans for the rubber factory site were previously submitted by Pipestone Limited in 2009 for 83 homes and industrial units but this was withdrawn before a decision could be made by planning officials.
The plot has remained vacant since the factory closed in 2006 after going bust.
