Plans come as discounter reveals it is recruiting over 1,500 warehouse staff

Lidl is planning a new regional distribution centre (RDC) on a 35-acre site in Gildersome, Leeds.

The plans submitted to Leeds City Council for a 54,000 sq m build ”showcases Lidl GB’s commitment to fostering local economic growth, alongside its continued expansion within Great Britain”, according to the discounter.

The new RDC would create over 400 jobs, and comes as Lidl announced it is recruiting over 1,500 warehouse colleagues across its existing regional distribution centre network. 

Over the last five years Lidl has opened four RDCs including Motherwell, Peterborough, Doncaster and a second site in Belvedere. The three sites have collectively created over 1,400 jobs.

Richard Taylor, chief development officer at Lidl GB, 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 240,000 sq m of warehouse space and invested over £700m, 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.”