Somerset Council rejects Lidl supermarket plans for Cheddar village

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 20 Oct, 06:32 · Archive

Somerset Council has refused planning permission for a new Lidl store in Cheddar because of potential harm to protected bats and crested newts.

Somerset Council has refused planning permission for a new Lidl supermarket on the A371 Upper New Road in Cheddar. The decision turned on environmental concerns: the council argued that Lidl Great Britain Ltd had not done enough to show that local protected species, including bats and crested newts, would not be harmed by the development.

Lidl submitted its plans in August 2025 for a store opposite the Oak Park housing estate. The scheme would have created up to 40 local jobs and included 127 parking spaces, nine parent and child spaces, six disabled spaces and two electric vehicle charging points. A pedestrian and cycle link to Curlew Way was also planned, along with covered bicycle parking near the entrance.

More than 350 local residents submitted formal representations on the proposals. A spokesperson for HTC Architects, representing the applicant, said the store would 'provide a local convenient service to the residents and the nearby surrounding area' and that the design aimed to reduce environmental impact through best practice measures during construction. The site had been originally allocated for residential development in the Sedgemoor Local Plan, which runs until 2032.

How it is being reported

• Lidl denied new supermarket in Somerset village with protected speciesSome very special residents were prioritisedSomersetLive · 20 Oct, 06:00
• Plans for new Lidl supermarket in Somerset village refusedThe new store would have created 40 local jobs - but Somerset Council isn't satisfied that the plans go far enough when it comes to ecologySomerset County Gazette · 19 Oct, 16:00

In this story: Somerset Council · Lidl Great Britain Ltd · Cheddar · HTC Architects · Taylor Wimpey

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