Are Hucknall Lidl plans finally ready to become reality after 11-month wait?

The German supernarket giant wants to build a new store on Watnall Road in the town on the current site of Hucknall Town FC’s ground.

Ashfield District Council’s planning committee originally approved the plans to in principal back on March 17 last year.

At the time there were some objections, most notably from Tesco, amid claims of inadequate assessment of the impact the store would have on town-centre trading.

It was also claimed that alternative sites – including the old Sandicliffe site on Portland Road and the Piggins Croft car park – hadn’t been explored.

However, the committee was broadly in favour of the scheme and gave it its approval – but with conditions.

This led to work needed to be done behind the scenes on the amount Lidl would contribute (a section 106 agreement) to town improvements and tackling increased traffic the store would create.

These conditions imposed by the planning committee have seemingly caused the waiting process to drag on with no end in sight with councillors saying the cause of the delay was at Lidl’s end.

But now, Hucknall councillor Dave Shaw (Ash Ind), who represents Hucknall North on the council, said: “Whilst the planning application for the new Lidl store in Hucknall continues to move forward, it is our understating that the legal agreements are now nearing completion.

"Ashfield District Council will then be in a position to issue a planning decision.

"Lidl and the land owners are committed to bringing this development to Hucknall.

"We will continue to work with them to ensure that the conditions are met and work on the site can proceed.”

Residents have been largely in favour of the store being built and the new store getting the green light will also pave the way for the Hucknall Town to finally move to a new ground across the road off Aerial Way – a move they have been wanting to make for more than 15 years.

The project is also set to create up to 40 new jobs in the town.