500 jobs at new Lidl warehouse in Leeds: Council chiefs welcome fresh investment in city

LEEDS City Council chiefs have welcomed supermarket chain Lidl's plans to build a massive new warehouse in the city  - creating up to 500 new jobs.
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Lidl is seeking to build a new 60,000m2 regional distribution centre on 38 acres of land the company has bought next to the M621 in Gildersome

Lidl said up to 500 new jobs could be created once the new centre off Gelderd Road is operational

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Coun Jonathan Pryor, Leeds City Council’s executive member for employment, said: “We welcome Lidl’s investment into Leeds and the job growth that this represents, especially as the company offers competitive hourly rates that are above the UK Living Wage Foundation living wage.

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"Lidl recruits staff at all levels, from limited experience to graduate positions and invests in staff training, enabling people to progress.

"These are business values that we are really pleased to welcome into our city and hope to continue seeing more of.”

Coun Andy Hutchinson (Morley North/Morley Borough Independents), said: "We are extremely happy that 500 jobs are going to be localy sourced and we hope that the development will have minimal impact on the residents of Gildersome."

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Jobs would include office-based administrative roles as well as warehouse operatives

Mike Cartwright, spokesman for West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “The chamber welcomes this new investment into Leeds.

It will give a further uplift to the city in terms of job creation and local economic development, and increase the big name presence that the city has in retail and many other sectors.

“It also shows the ability of the city to provide plenty of opportunities for growth and expansion and the investment will also contribute to the wider city-region economy too.”The new distribution centre is planned to be built in Leeds after the completion of four other distribution centres in Doncaster, Bolton, Peterborough and Luton,.

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Ingo Fischer, Lidl UK board director, said the company plans to invest £1.45bn to expand in Great Britain in 2017/18, adding: “As we continue to open new stores and serve more customers across the country, it’s important that we also continue to build foundations for the future.

“This latest investment joins a long line of Lidl warehouses set to open over the next seven years, which are all vital in supporting our growth.”