New Lidl and Starbucks drive-thru could bring dozens of jobs to Wigan

Dozens of new jobs could be on offer as Lidl looks into bringing a brand-new supermarket to Platt Bridge in Wigan as well as a drive-thru Starbucks.

This would be another Lidl in the borough a year after one branch officially opened on Woodhouse Lane, Springfield back in February 2022. The site off Templeton Road South was previously used as a car wash, scrap yard, and car showroom before being left vacant.

The new food store would provide up to 40 new jobs in addition to the roles provided by Starbucks for the local area.

READ MORE: Drivers in Greater Manchester borough furious over 'March madness' on 'crumbling' roads

Both the store and the drive-thru will be single-storey units and the site will include 132 car parking spaces. The retailer known for low prices and their ‘mystery middle aisle’ will be 1,895 square metres in size and provide their usual own-brand range.

“The redevelopment of the site to create a Lidl food store and coffee drive-thru will guarantee the regeneration of the site which will boost the vitality and viability of Platt Bridge,” the planning statement said. “The scheme will also provide around 40 new jobs through the Lidl store and further new jobs through the coffee drive-thru, significantly boosting the economy of the local area.”

The planning statement went on to say that because they only offer ‘basic convenience goods sourced from Europe’ including pre-packed meats, fresh fruit and vegetables and canned goods - they help keep choice for other smaller businesses in the area. This is because, unlike the big supermarket brands, they don’t offer a huge amount of non-food options such as pharmacies, phone shops or hot food counters.

Lidl are currently in the process of delivering around 60 new