A NEW Lidl supermarket will be coming to Droitwich after plans were unanimously approved.

Planners at Wychavon District Council gave the thumbs up to the new store in George Baylis Road which will create up to 40 new jobs and will include an in-store bakery and a car park.

The existing buildings, currently occupied by Acorn Catering Equipment, will be demolished to make way for the 1,325 square metre supermarket.

Councillor Margaret Rowley, who represents Bowbrook on the district council, said: “It is a much needed facility and will bring more variety and more competition to the area.”

Councillor Bob Brookes, who represents Droitwich Spa East, also welcomed the new supermarket.

He said: “It will be a great improvement of what is officially a brownfield site.”

A proposal put forward by Councillor Richard Morris for development of the Westlands roundabout, near to where the supermarket will be built, were rejected by Worcestershire County Council.

The council said the building of the supermarket was unlikely to bring a significant number of extra people to the area as the supermarket was relying on taking much of its custom from neighbouring rival supermarkets.

Cllr Rowley added: “I share the concern with the roundabout and I think if the funding could be found to improve access to this area from the Westlands estate then it would be very beneficial.

“The estate does seem to be cut off from the town by that roundabout.”

The site nestled against George Baylis Road and Kidderminster Road will neighbour Droitwich Spa Retail Park and sit opposite Aldi in Berry Hill Industrial Estate.

The proposed layout will include 118 car parking spaces, including six disabled and eight parent and child spaces.

An application by the budget supermarket was approved by Droitwich Town Council planners in January.

Documents submitted with the application suggested that a Lidl built in the proposed site would not have a "significantly adverse" impact on businesses in Droitwich town centre and the application has met the retail impact tests set out in the South Worcestershire Development Plan.

The supermarket is likely to be open between 6am and 11pm from Monday to Saturday and bank holidays and 10am to 4pm on Sunday. Deliveries will not be taking place outside of opening times.

Lidl has assured that no waste will be moved or stored outside the supermarket.

The supermarket has also said that deliveries are typically made one or two times a day and will most likely increase during peak season times but will not go higher than three lorry deliveries a day.