A new Lidl is set to be built in a north Essex town, directly opposite a huge Tesco store, with councillors preparing to give the retail giant the green light for its proposals.

The budget supermarket is planning to open its new store at the site off Stortford Road, Great Dunmow, just to the east of the Dunmow West Interchange Roundabout and north of the A120. 

The site is currently used by a fencing supplies business, which is relocating and if agreed the new supermarket would sit just opposite the Tesco store in the street. Uttlesford Council’s planning committee is set to agree the plans at a meeting on Wednesday, August 21.

If agreed the new supermarket would create 40 full-time equivalent jobs and also there would be 119 car parking spaces provided, including nine for parents with children, six for the disabled and two electric vehicle charging points. 

If agreed, the opening times for the new supermarket would be 8am to 10pm Monday to Saturday, bank holidays, and 10am to 6pm on Sundays. The council officer’s report states Martin Robeson Planning Practice on behalf of Tesco provided a response objecting to the proposal on January 29.

It raised a number of points including; the proposal floorspace is double the local threshold for an out-of-centre location and will have a negative impact onto the trading of Great Dunmow town centre which is contrary to paragraph 95 in the national planning policy framework.

The council officer’s report shows there was concern from various parties about the impact of the development on a number of designated heritage assets including the Gatehouse to Easton Lodge, Highwood Farmhouse and the Barn at Highwood Farm, with neutral harm to the Roundhouse. 

However, the report also states that the Conservation Officer agreed with the heritage statement that the proposed new store “would cause less than substantial harm to the setting and significance of three of the designated heritage assets.”

The report adds: “The principle of retail use is deemed acceptable to both local and national policies and guidance. It will deliver a high-quality scheme at a gateway location. The design has been carefully considered to mitigate the impacts of the proposal onto the heritage and nature designations, through the siting of the proposed building and increased tree planting within the site.

“Notwithstanding the proposed less than substantial harm to nearby heritage assets and objections from the Great Dunmow Town Council, it is considered that the benefits of the proposed development, including the redevelopment of an existing employment site, increased shopping choice to meet the needs of local residents, creation of new jobs for local people, an enhancement to landscaping along Stortford Road and provision of enhancements to bus stop infrastructure, outweigh the harm and that the proposed development complies with the tests outlined in Paragraphs 208 and 212 of the national planning policy framework (2023).”