Planners have approved a new Lidl store as the German-owned discount chain continues to expand its reach in Gloucestershire.

The latest supermarket, a Lidl neighbourhood discount foodstore, will be situated on the former Watts Truck Centre in Mercia Road, Gloucester.

It will cover some 2,125 sq metres and include parking for 152 cars.

The new store is near the rival Tesco store at St Oswalds Road. Lidl already has stores in Gloucester in Bristol Road and off Eastern Avenue.

Lidl is already seeking planning permission to extends its store in Cinderford by more than 25 per cent and the company also wants to build a new store on the Lords Hill site in Coleford.

Lidl is part of the Schwarz retail group based in Germany and now has 10,000 stores globally.

In the UK it employs 22,000 people across 700 stores and invested £1.45 billion in expansion in 2017-18.

It is now one of the fastest growing supermarket chains in the country with a market share of 5.1 per cent.

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