MOTORISTS are advised that works to progress the opening of a Lidl store in Crediton could have some bearing on their journeys for the next 10 days from tomorrow, Tuesday, April 30.

Contractors working at the site will be closing one lane of Commercial Road from 9am to 3.30pm each day for the 10 days to enable the vehicle entrance to be built into the site.

The road warning sign at the Exhibition Road roundabout. AQ 1141
The road warning sign at the Exhibition Road roundabout. AQ 1141 (Alan Quick, Crediton Courier)

This is almost opposite Tucker’s Country Store and the pavement will be lowered to build the pedestrian and vehicle entrance to the site.

The new store, along with 114 parking spaces, servicing and landscaping will be built on part of the former playing field area known as the Rec, at Commercial Road, Lords Meadow Industrial Estate in the town, about half-a-mile from the town centre.

It was on November 22 and 23 that contractors began excavations on the site.

A map of where the proposed Lidl store will be located in Crediton.
A map of where the proposed Lidl store will be located in Crediton. (Image courtesy of One Design Architects)

Lidl was granted planning permission for the new store in September 2022.

Conditions included:

• A payment of £87,289 to assist with the flow of traffic through the Western Gateway, St Lawrence Green and the High Street to address air quality within the Crediton Air Quality Management Area.

• A payment of £400,000 to help relocate Crediton Rugby Club.

• £100,000 for Devon County Council to provide a zebra crossing on Commercial Road.

40 JOBS

The site will also include two electric vehicle charging points and 12 cycle parking spaces.

Lidl paid £800,000 to Queen Elizabeth’s Education Foundation for the area of the Rec on which it is to build the store.

The remaining area of the Rec is currently leased by Crediton Rugby Club.

An image of the proposed Crediton Lidl store.
An image of the proposed Crediton Lidl store. (Planning documents)

Queen Elizabeth’s Education Foundation exists, totally separate from the school, and the Ted Wragg Trust.

It says it provides support for students in various ways, bursaries, prizes, equipment and support that otherwise might not be forthcoming from any other source.

It said that the money raised from the sale of the site would be invested solely for the Foundation to use in supporting existing students and past students up to the age of 25.

The Rugby Club is proposing to move to a new site adjoining the yet-to-begin Pedlarspool/Creedy Bridge development by Bellway for 257 homes, which is in Sandford parish at Exhibition Corner.

The new supermarket forms part of the company’s investment plans across Great Britain.

It will feature an instore bakery and customer toilets.

Once opened, Lidl says the proposed store will create up to 40 new jobs for the local economy.

Tesco clients BCLP tried to stop the Crediton Lidl plan from going ahead in 2022, citing loss of sports pitch and lawfulness of that decision under s106 matters and heritage reasons.

On November 23, 2022, Mid Devon District Councillor John Downes (Crediton Boniface) explained: “I have just been informed that the process that Tesco invoked was called a Pre Action Protocol where by they needed to make their case within six weeks for a Judicial Review.

“MDDC (Mid Devon District Council) defended their position and Tesco did not go to the next stage which would have been a court order.

“So that means the challenge has ended.”

As yet, no date as to when the Crediton Lidl store will open has been given.