Lidl confirm 'difficult decision' to withdraw from Workington plans

The supermarket chain Lidl GB have said that over the years their teams have worked 'incredibly hard' to secure the site, however after 'significant delays' the site no longer meets the companies new store requirements.

In a statement provided to the News and Star, Lidl GB said: "Over the years our teams have worked incredibly hard to explore all options to bring a new Lidl store to Workington since we first exchanged contracts for the site back in 2019.

"However, as many will be aware, the development was subject to significant delays outside of our control and unfortunately the site no longer meets our new store requirements.

"We’ve therefore made the difficult decision to put the site on the market to unlock it for future use. We know this will be disappointing for those who backed our plans, and we want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who took the time to show their support."

Lidl, announced plans to build a new store in Workington back in 2019, when they purchased vacant land opposite Borough Park, off the A597, near the existing Tesco supermarket from the Allerdale Investment Partnership back in 2019.

In late 2022 Lidl GB confirmed that its new supermarket on New Bridge Road, Workington, will be going ahead following the Court's decision to dismiss a legal challenge from Tesco, which sought to quash planning permission granted by Allerdale Borough Council in the April of the same year.

Documents supporting the sale, created by Savills said: "Workington is the main shopping centre for West Cumbria with a market town and industrial heritage. The site adjoins a proven and established Tesco food store.

"It is strategically located at the heart of the road infrastructure in the town providing ease of access to draw from the Workington catchment population and further afield"

Documents also say that the site is held on a freehold basis and restricted for food retail only until February 2028.