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Lidl is planning to build a new food store in a huge UK town that has been left bereft of any shops. Northstowe, near Cambridge, is Britain's newest town and the UK's biggest development since Milton Keynes in the 1960s, with 10,000 homes planned by 2040.

Nine years after residents first moved in, it has an abundance of wide-open space, lakes and nature walks, as well as a trio of schools and state-of-the-art sports facilities. It is already seen as one of the country's greenest and healthiest places to live, but still lacks even a small newsagent or community shop, let alone a supermarket like Tesco or Sainsbury's. "For people who live in Northstowe, the lack of shops is the single biggest issue they have," Tom Bygott, a Conservative councillor for the area, said earlier this year.

Some have even labelled Northstowe a giant "ghost town", as it also does not have a GP surgery and only a few places where residents can meet.

But now budget retailer Lidl has submitted a planning application to South Cambridgeshire District Council to build a new store, following backing from 2,500 residents in a consultation.

The 1,529sq m shop in Station Road would include a bakery and customer toilets, as well as 115 car parking spaces with two electric vehicle charging bays. There would also be 58 cycle parking spaces.

In the planning application, agents acting for Lidl said the supermarket would "contribute positively to Northstowe as a whole".

Nearby residents have written in to the council to support the plans, with one saying: "Brilliant idea, agree wholeheartedly. A supermarket and other infrastructure should have been sorted years ago."

Another said: "I really feel that this would be good for the area, as not only will it allow for discount food shopping, it will also bring in jobs to those who are actively looking for work.

"I feel that not only Northstowe residents will use it but also people who live in surrounding villages."

Despite criticisms over the lack of shops in Northstowe, there are signs that things are changing.

Huge progress has already been made over the past couple of years, with a new gym at the secondary school and Northstowe Tap and Social quickly becoming the vibrant social hub residents had been craving.

Henry Batchelor, South Cambridgeshire District Council's cabinet member for communities, said earlier this year that Northstowe's huge benefits are often overlooked.

"It's got really good sports amenities. It's got allotments. It's got high-quality play areas that hold regular community events, and it's also got really nice green spaces and lakes, with pedestrianised access around them.

"There are shops coming. A town that will ultimately have 10,000 houses will always attract the Lidls and big supermarkets of this world."

Earlier this year, Lidl confirmed it would be opening 19 new stores in 2026. It has also published a wish list of sought-after locations where it could open stores, including 250 sites in London.

Richard Taylor, chief real estate officer at Lidl GB, said: "With this push, we're set on winning more shoppers across the nation and claiming an even bigger share of the market."

Lidl is opening new stores in 2026 in: