Councillors are due to determine a planning application for a new Lidl supermarket on the edge of York at a meeting next week.

City of York planning staff are recommending approval for the store at Monks Cross, which also includes a drive-thru restaurant.

This is despite opposition to the scheme, which promises to create 40 jobs, from the nearby Sainsbury’s, which warns the giant German supermarket chain will damage it and other retailers in the area.

Lidl seeks to demolish part of the existing TK Maxx at Monks Cross, which closed in March 2020, and relocated elsewhere from the site.

If approved, this would be York’s third Lidl. Lidl’s other sites in York are at James Street and Thanet Road.

The existing retail unit in the south-western part of the site, would be reconfigured to create a 2169sqm (GIA) Lidl food store comprising of 1,456sqm sales area with the remaining floorspace occupied by warehouse and back of house areas.

The proposed drive-thru unit would occupy the north-western corner of the site and would be surrounded by a drive-through circular vehicle loop.

There would be parking for 131 cars and 20 bikes.

Planning documents says Huntington Parish Council raised no objections to the scheme, but the manager of the Sainsbury’s store to its south said there was a lack of need as there are other food stores nearby.

Another objector said the Lidl would not Increase consumer choice, nor create enough jobs as rival retailers are struggling to attract staff. Construction jobs won’t last for long and the new jobs would be low-paid.

However, council planners doubted the Lidl would affect retailers in smaller centres nearby, noting they already trade alongside Sainsbury’s, M&S, Asda, Aldi and Tesco, so trading patterns would not change much.

Therefore, planners doubted the Lidl would harm the viability and vitality of nearby centres. The proposal also accorded with the Huntington Neighbourhood Plan Policy H10, which seeks to retain retail uses at Monks Cross.

They concluded the plan, which involves reconfiguring an existing building, would have acceptable impact on the city centre and other nearby retail sites. There were no better sites and the proposed retail use was compatible with its neighbours.

Plans have been amended to retain existing trees along Monks Cross Drive with new trees within the car park. Revised parking details would also be presented to councillors at meeting of planning committee next Thursday.

A report prepared for the meeting added: “Technical matters can be addressed to achieve policy compliance through conditions in respect of sustainable design and construction, biodiversity, drainage, the highway network and ground conditions and pollution.”

Subject to these conditions, the proposed Lidl met local and national policies and approval was recommended.