Work to build new Lidl on Hucknall Town site finally set to start within next six weeks

After more than a year of waiting since permission was granted in principal, the project is set to get underway on the site of Hucknall Town’s current ground on Watnall Road.

The football club is set to move to its new home on Aerial Way, construction of which is progressing at pace.

Coun Dave Shaw (Ash Ind), who represents Hucknall North on Ashfield District Council, said: “We are pleased that work is set to start on the store. It will complement the existing food offers in Hucknall.

"There has long been a plan in place for Hucknall Town for a replacement ground on the opposite side of the road on Aerial Way.

“The council has worked to ensure any development includes sustainable measures, minimises impacts on the town centre whilst ensuring a future for our football club and the transfer of highway land for possible potential future highways improvements.

“We’ve ensured that the benefits from this project are much wider than just job creation.”

The council’s planning committee originally approved the plans for the new store 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 needing to be done behind the scenes to iron out the sticking points and on the amount Lidl would contribute (a section 106 agreement) to town improvements and tackling increased traffic the store would create.

And it appears this work has now been completed.

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 football club to formally complete a ground move it has been wanting to make for more than 15 years.