Lidl Plans to Demolish Chelmsford Supermarket and Former Pub for Huge New Store

Lidl has unveiled major plans to demolish its existing Chelmsford supermarket, the neighbouring Farmfoods unit and a former pub to make way for a much larger new store.

A new planning application has been submitted to Chelmsford City Council for the site at Waterson Vale, between the Army and Navy and Miami roundabouts.

The proposals would see the existing retail building, currently occupied by Lidl and Farmfoods, completely demolished alongside the former Moulsham Inn pub.

In their place, Lidl wants to construct a new purpose-built supermarket with a significantly larger sales area, new parking, electric vehicle charging points and landscaping.

UPDATE: Planning application now submitted

A formal planning application has now been submitted for the proposed redevelopment at 2 Waterson Vale in Chelmsford.

The application seeks permission to demolish the existing buildings and construct a replacement Lidl foodstore, together with new vehicle access, car parking, landscaping, engineering and drainage works.

The application is being considered under reference 26/01199/FUL, with comments currently invited until October 16, 2026.

City Hub will continue to follow the application as it progresses through the planning process.

New Lidl would be almost twice the size

The plans represent a major redevelopment of Lidl's existing Chelmsford operation.

The current Lidl has a sales area of around 1,070 square metres, while the proposed new store would increase this to approximately 2,238 square metres.

A new 98-space car park is also proposed, with larger parking spaces and electric vehicle charging facilities.

Planning documents say Lidl's requirements have changed as the supermarket has expanded its product range and that the company now prefers larger stores capable of offering customers a wider selection of goods.

The application, reference 26/01199/FUL, describes the development as the "demolition of existing buildings and erection of a replacement foodstore with associated vehicle access, car parking, landscaping, engineering and drainage works".

The application is currently awaiting a decision from Chelmsford City Council.

Former Moulsham Inn would disappear

The proposals would also mean the demolition of the neighbouring former Moulsham Inn.

The pub, at 6 Waterson Vale, was previously known as the Queen B and has been closed since 2024.

The loss of the former pub forms part of Lidl's planning case, with documents accompanying the application considering whether there is a realistic prospect of the building returning to use as a public house.

According to details reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, five offers have been made to acquire or lease the property, but only two were from pub operators.

Lidl's case is that this provides evidence of limited demand for the building to continue operating as a pub.

Previous Lidl expansion plan was approved

This isn't the first time Lidl has attempted to expand its Waterson Vale supermarket.

Chelmsford City Council approved an application in April 2022 which would have extended the existing store and combined the Lidl and Farmfoods units.

Those proposals have not been implemented.

The latest application goes considerably further by proposing the demolition of the existing buildings and construction of an entirely new supermarket.

Lidl has already revealed wider Chelmsford ambitions

The Waterson Vale proposals come as Lidl continues to target further expansion in and around Chelmsford.

Earlier in 2026, the supermarket chain identified Broomfield and Springfield among the locations where it would like to secure sites for additional stores.

City Hub previously reported on Lidl's Chelmsford expansion plans and the locations being targeted by the retailer.

The new Waterson Vale application concerns the redevelopment of Lidl's existing supermarket and does not in itself indicate that the retailer has abandoned its search for additional Chelmsford locations.

What happens next?

Chelmsford City Council will now consider the application before deciding whether planning permission should be granted.

The application can be found on the council's planning system using reference 26/01199/FUL.

If approved, the development would completely transform the Waterson Vale site, replacing the existing Lidl, Farmfoods and former Moulsham Inn with a substantially larger modern Lidl supermarket.

City Hub will follow the application and provide further updates as the plans progress.