Lidl still wants to come to Hucknall as supermarket giant outlines its target sites for Nottinghamshire

The company has published its latest list of priority locations to open stores across the UK, including 18 in Nottinghamshire.

Plans for the proposed Hucknall store on Watnall Road were first approved by approved by Ashfield Council back in 2021 with the store to be built on the site of Hucknall Town’s old ground after the football club moved to its new home on Aerial Way.

But some two years since the project was first give the green light, the football club has moved to its new home and the old ground has been knocked down but there is still no sign of work starting to build the new supermarket.

Your Dispatch contacted Hucknall district councillors earlier this year after rumours the project was in danger of being scrapped altogether.

At the time, Lee Waters said he was “not aware of any issues with the project”.

And now Lidl has confirmed it remains committed to Hucknall with the town on its newly-published priority list for 2023.

Ryan McDonnell, Lidl GB chief executive, said: “The last few years have been challenging for everyone, but we’ve made it clear that we’re more committed than ever to ensuring that every single household has access to a Lidl store.

“That’s why our focus is firmly on the future as we continue to grow and invest in our infrastructure, while keeping a lookout for more sites and locations across the country.

“We had more than 1.4 million new shoppers coming to us from our competitors over the course of last year.

"As we progress further into 2023, we know that more shoppers will make the switch, and whichever of our stores they choose, they know they’re getting the best value.”

Richard Taylor, Lidl GB chief development officer, added: “Our store expansion has been and continues to be unparalleled.

“In the last three months alone, we’ve opened 15 stores – more than any other retailer, and in 2022 we welcomed customers through the doors of more than 50 new stores, but we won’t be stopping there.

“Our vision is to have more than 1,100 stores in the future, but really there’s no ceiling on our ambition or growth potential.”