Lidl announces first store in Kirkby

Kicking off the second phase of Knowsley Council’s plans to regenerate the town centre, the discount retailer has submitted plans to construct a 29,200 sq ft block comprising two units: one for the store itself and the other for an unknown occupier.

Lidl and Knowsley have signed an agreement that will see the shops be constructed on Hall Lane car park, a triangular 1.5-acre site off Telegraph Way in Kirkby’s town centre. The plot sits next to the first phase, which completed in 2021 and consists of a Morrisons, Home Bargains, and PureGym.

Knowsley had received considerable interest in the site in the lead up to January 2025, when it also decided to borrow £2m to part-fund the development. The money would be earned back from rental income within five years, the council said.

Lidl would occupy the larger of the two shops, taking on 24,000 sq ft of space. This will include 16,400 sq ft of sales space, with the remainder used for customer toilets, warehouse, an in-store bakery, and offices. Solar panels would be outfitted to the roof to help power the store.

The smaller unit will be 5,100 sq ft.

Both facilities have been designed by Space Architects.

Customers for the two shops would both use the town centre car park off Irlam Drive. However, the proposals do include six accessible parking bays and nine parent and child spaces close to the Lidl – as well as cycle storage.

Stuart Jardine, regional head of property at Lidl GB, said he was pleased to have submitted the planning application to bolster the store’s presence in Merseyside.

“A store in this town centre location will offer access to our best value products, create jobs for the area, and reduce the need for shoppers to travel out of town,” he continued. “We look forward to receiving a planning decision in due course.”

When complete, Lidl will create 40 jobs in the area.

Regarding Lidl’s application, Knowsley Council executive director for regeneration and economy development Dale Milburn said: “This is another important milestone in our ambitions for the town.

“We know from our residents and visitors that they want more choice in terms of the retail offer, and this shows that we have listened and are committed to delivering a wider offer,” he continued.

“We will continue to deliver our development plans for Kirkby, alongside the £19.5m Pride in Places funding we have secured for Kirkby which will address the local community’s priorities over the next ten years.”

The submission of the planning application concludes a big year for Lidl, which opened its 1,000th UK store in November.

In addition to Space Architects, the project team includes planner Rapleys, transport and flood risk consultant SCP, site investigator Remada, BNG and ecology expert Enzygo, external lighting consultant Signify, noise impact consultant Miller Goodhall, energy and sustainability guru DDA, and FDA Landscape.

You can see the application by searching reference 25/00627/FUL on Knowsley Council’s planning portal.