Following the announcement last year that the supermarket chain had signed a deal with Barker-Mill Estates for the proposed site, both parties have spent considerable time working on the proposal ahead of submitting a joint application to Test Valley Borough Council and Southampton City Council.
Representing a significant investment in the area, the distribution centre will create up to 400 jobs. Fuelling a significant boost to the local job market, Lidl plans to recruit a local workforce to serve as many of the positions available as possible.
Tim Jobling, from Barker-Mill Estates, commented on the proposed development for the area: “During talks with national companies for our land south of Brownhill Way, one of our main priorities, as a responsible landowner, was to ensure the creation of jobs for local people.
“In a recent community survey we found nearly 75% of local residents wanted greater employment opportunities in the area and we are happy that Lidl has committed to the development of future job creation in south-west Hampshire.”
The proposed warehouse located just off the M271, will allow Lidl to serve an area from Poole and Bournemouth, up to Newbury and across to Brighton.
Oliver McGuinness, regional property director for Lidl, said: “For a considerable time now we have been aware of the benefits a Regional Distribution Centre positioned on the outskirts of Southampton would have to our distribution system. The land south of Brownhill Way provides us with excellent links across the south coast, which will allow us to shorten journeys creating a more sustainable distribution network.”
Source: Lidl
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