'It's a wonderful opportunity'... Councillors praise plans for new Horsham Lidl

Plans to build a new supermarket at the site of the former Dreams unit in Foundry Lane were approved by Horsham District Council’s Planning Committee North this evening.

The German retailer is now set to create a new food store offering 1,800 product ranges, 51 parking spaces and up to 40 new jobs. For more details on the plans click here: All you need to know about Horsham Lidl plans

Roy Cornell (con, Roffey South) said: “This is a brownfield site, it has an ugly building on it. This building, to my sense of thinking, is terrific. It’s a wonderful opportunity, it’s a wonderful site.”

Christine Costin (LDem, Trafalgar) said: “Horsham has waited a long long time for a supermarket like Lidl. It’s a brilliant plan.”

Lidl said it had turned down seven other sites in the town before settling on the location in Foundry Lane.

Around 157 letters along with an 8,000 strong petition were received by the council in support of the new store.

Multiple letters objecting to the plans were also received including one from Waitrose which raised concerns about business being taken away from the town centre. You can read Waitrose objection here: Waitrose opposes plans for new Horsham Lidl store

Peter Burgess (con, Holbrook West) called the Waitrose objection a ‘diatribe’ and said he hoped Lidl would be followed by applications from other supermarkets including Morrisons.

He said: “This is a derelict site unused for some years. It will not draw trade from the town centre. Horsham needs more supermarkets and this is highlighted by the empty shelf syndrome that we often see in the supermarkets we’ve got.”