A Lidl help from locals secures new Borders supermarket

In March members of the council’s Planning and Building Standards Committee were advised by officers to dismiss an application from discount retailer Lidl for a new supermarket in conjunction with five business units on Tweedbank Industrial Estate.

Councillors were informed that the outlet would be five times the size of the Co-op store just five minutes away, could have a “devastating impact and knock-on impact on Melrose footfall” and would lead to a loss of “valuable employment land within an established business park”.

But members also heard that the proposed supermarket bid had generated well over 100 submissions of support from folk in Tweedbank – and only one objection, with no objections from Melrose traders.

As a result members indicated their support because of its “exceptional community benefits”.

However, a final decision was delayed to enable council officers and the applicant to jointly agree a plan to prevent any “negative impacts” on the local landscape.

Now that work has been completed and the council has issued a decision notice confirming formal approval for the store.

In correspondence with the planning approval decision document, Kelso & District councillor Simon Mountford, the council’s executive member for Estate Management and Planning, says: “The final result is an improvement on what was originally planned.”

The public support generated for the application seems to have been a key element to its passage through the planning system.

One Melrose resident said: “It should be noted from recent polling via Facebook of residents in relation to this application that there was a massive majority of both residents and businesses on Tweedbank supporting this application. I would suggest the council pay attention to this.”

Another supporter wrote: “Being a resident of Tweedbank for 15 years and my lifetime as a Scottish Borders resident I believe this is going to introduce great benefits to Tweedbank and its residents and visitors. I do not believe it will introduce any negative impacts on neighbouring towns based on their own retail situation.”