LIDL wins planning for Leeds RDC

By Liza Helps Property Editor Logistics Matters

THE RETAILER was given the go ahead last week to build a 598,333 ft2 cross dock facility on the 38-acre Plot E at 62 Leeds in Gildersome near Morley in Leeds which it acquired in 2018.

The RDC will comprise 546,850 ft2 of warehouse space with 27,222 ft2 offices. It will have 20m eaves, 108 dock doors, as well as parking for 1000 HGVs – 25 unsecured and 75 secured. There will be 309 car parking spaces.

Separate to the main RDC building, various associated buildings and structures will be provided across the site including a pallet store, drivers lounge, generator, substation, two sprinkler tanks, a pump house, smoking shelters, and haulier cabins.

The building will target a BREEAM Excellent and EPC A rating and sustainability measures include PVs, LED lighting and PIR lighting controls, as well as waste heat recovery from roof-mounted condensers to heat offices, water reduction measures, CHP and BEM.

The RDC will store and distribute fresh produce and non-food goods to supermarkets across Yorkshire and the North.

A planning statement accompanying the application highlighted the "positive economic benefit as a result of the development", including the creation of about 400 jobs.

The project team includes Walsingham Planning, IMA Architects, Jubb, RPS, DDA and ACL.

The facility is located  just over a mile from Junction 27 of the M62 motorway.

Over the last five years Lidl GB’s has opened four RDCs including Motherwell, Peterborough, Doncaster and a second site in Belvedere in addition to its 1.2 million ft2 distribution centre in Luton - its largest in any market globally. The £300 million property facilitates the delivery of some 9,400 pallets daily to around 150 stores nationwide.

Lidl GB Chief Development Officer Richard Taylor said: “Our ambitious warehouse plans demonstrate our commitment to investing not only in our distribution network but the country as a whole. An RDC in Leeds would be a great addition to the North, while we continue to keep a lookout for new sites in the South.

“In the last five years we have opened over 2.5 million ft2 of warehouse space and invested over £700 million, but we need more space and people to help us meet our growth targets. We’ve built an impressive store portfolio across the country and our vision to have over 1,100 stores in Great Britain remains unchanged.”

The discounter, which currently has more than 960 stores and employs around 31,000 people.