A PLANNING row has erupted over proposals for a new Southampton supermarket.

Plans for a new Lidl store on Brownhill Way, which is on the border of Southampton and Test Valley, have hit a setback after part of the proposals was rejected.

Plans for the supermarket, which is in the boundary of Southampton, are still under consideration by the city council.

But a planning row has erupted between the German discount chain and neighbouring Test Valley Borough Council (TVBC).

The authority has rejected Lidl’s plans for an access road onto Frogmore Lane – which falls under TVBC.

Now the supermarket giant has lodged an appeal with the national Planning Inspectorate, in order to get the decision overturned.

A spokesperson for Lidl said: “We can confirm that an application for an access road was made to TVBC and that this application was refused.

“We are currently appealing this decision.

“The application for the main store, within Southampton City Council’s boundary, remains under consideration by the council, however, and we will provide further updates when we are able to.”

Planning chiefs at TVBC say the proposals were rejected due to a conflict with the authority’s local plan.

The council’s planning and transport portfolio holder, councillor Nick Adams-King, said: “Insufficient information accompanied the application that would have enabled the council to consider the need for a vehicular access, when the Local Plan only sought to provide a pedestrian and cycle link onto Frogmore Lane.

Daily Echo:

“The council has submitted its statement to the Planning Inspectorate to defend those decisions.”

A spokesperson for Southampton City Council said the authority’s decision on the supermarket plans had not stalled as a result of the appeal and had no relation to its own decision.

The spokesperson was unable to give details on when the application would be decided upon.

As reported in the Daily Echo last year, Lidl lodged plans for the new store on the greenfield site – just metres from its regional distribution centre

A Lidl spokesperson previously said the new “multimillion-pound” store was part of a £1.45bn national investment scheme.

Lidl currently has stores in the High Street, Shirley, Thornhill, and Woolston.

Plans for a new store in Banister Road are under consideration.