GLASGOW planners have refused permission for supermarket chain Lidl to build a bigger store in Govan

The company applied to demolish its ‘dated’ outlet at Moss Road and replace it with a significantly larger building.

The sales area was to have increased from 1,005 square metres to 1,414 square metres. The overall internal area was to have gone from 1,334 square metres to 2,301 square metres.

City planners said Lidl had not demonstrated why the development of a retail store of that size in the area was justified.

They also stated that the building design included “large areas of inactive and blank frontage” and, in particular, “failed to adequately address a sufficient active street frontage” along Peninver Drive.

A supporting document submitted with the planning application had stated: “The proposed development will replace the dated existing store with a modern, clean and contemporary store, which is considered to be in line with relevant design policy.

“The proposal will provide a significantly better quality than the existing building. The proposal will also meet Lidl’s operational requirements, new legislative requirements (including Deposit Return Scheme bottle store) and also provide an improved customer experience.

“Whilst it is acknowledged that the new store will have a modest uplift in net sales floorspace, it is not anticipated that trips to the site will increase significantly because of the development.”