Discount superstore Lidl has lodged plans which would see it move one of its Norwich stores - to a site where rival Morrisons had been planning an outlet.

Eastern Daily Press: The site on Aylsham Road in Norwich. Photo: Bill SmithThe site on Aylsham Road in Norwich. Photo: Bill Smith (Image: Archant © 2012)

Lidl announced earlier this year that it was interested in moving its store in Copenhagen Way to the former Goff Petroleum site in Aylsham Road - less than 400m away from the current store.

Morrisons secured planning permission to build a 22,000 sq ft store there in February 2014. But the company, which closed 21 stores last year, has not started work.

Lidl has formalised its interest with a submission to Norwich City Council. Their proposal is for a smaller, single storey, store of just over 18,000 sq ft. Permission is also sought for 166 car parking spaces.

Documents lodged with City Hall state: 'The Copenhagen Way store is a popular store which trades very well, but is now too small to accommodate Lidl's current operational model, or to best meet customer needs. There is no scope to significantly extend the existing store due to the restricted size of the site.

'The application site represents an ideal opportunity for Lidl to deliver a modern store which will be better able to meet the needs of its customers, and to serve essentially the same catchment area and customer base.'

Lidl sent postcards about the new store to nearby homes earlier this year. The supermarket chain says it received 435 replies to those and collected 432 comment sheets left in the Copenhagen Way store at and after a question and answer event about the possible move.

Lidl said 94pc of those who responded supported the store switch.

Morrisons would not comment on whether it had given up its interest in the site.

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