DISCOUNT supermarket Lidl wants to open five new shops in Herefordshire.

As well as having recently gained planning permission to demolish the Three Counties Hotel in Belmont, Hereford, to build a new supermarket, the retail giant is also looking at expanding to the north west of Hereford, and to the towns of Leominster, Ledbury and Ross-on-Wye.

Lidl already has a shop at Brook Retail Park in Hereford.

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Richard Taylor, Lidl 's chief development officer, said: “Having fortified our infrastructure with significant investments like Luton, which is the largest warehouse in the Lidl world, we're proud to have achieved record market share this month. We have also been the fastest growing bricks and mortar supermarket for the past seven months in a row. With an exceptional store network and our laser focus on operational excellence, we’re welcoming more customers through our doors than ever before, which positions us perfectly for continued expansion.

“As we celebrate our 30th year, our commitment to ensuring that all households across the country have access to high quality produce at affordable prices is stronger than ever. We’re planning to open hundreds of new Lidl stores but ultimately see no ceiling on our ambition or growth potential. This is why we’re continuing to invest in new locations whilst exploring innovative routes to expansion. As we look ahead, we’re excited to welcome even more new shoppers to our existing stores, as well as those we’re planning to open across the country in the coming months and years.”

Should a site in Herefordshire be successfully identified, Lidl will pay a finders’ fee of either 1.5 per cent of the total freehold purchase price, or 10 per cent of the first year’s rent for leaseholds, which would equate to £22,500 for a completed £1.5 million site purchase.

Lidl is specifically looking for sites in prominent locations with easy access and strong pedestrian or traffic flow, with at least 1.5 acres for a standalone store and up to four acres for mixed-use schemes. Sites should allow for unit sizes between 18,000 and 26,500 square feet and over 100 dedicated car parking spaces, and Lidl will consider freehold, leasehold or long leasehold opportunities.

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Rival supermarket chain Aldi is also looking to expand in Herefordshire, with a spokesperson asking local people to suggest prime locations for new shops.

Jonathan Neale, Aldi's managing director of real estate, said: “We want to make high-quality food accessible to all, but there are still some areas that either don’t have an Aldi or have potential for more stores.

“We’ve identified some key places where there is demand for more stores already, but now we are calling on the public to share their views. This will be used to help inform our property search over the coming years.”