If you live anywhere near Northfield, you’re already familiar with the vibe. A shopping centre that once felt busy now has that slightly tired look. A few shops are doing well, while a few units appear to be struggling. And then there’s the big empty question hanging over the place: what happens next?
Now we’ve got a real answer. A Lidl supermarket is approved to replace the Northfield Shopping Centre section in Birmingham, and it’s not just another “new store” story. It’s a planning fight, an appeal win, and a pretty clear sign of where local retail is heading in 2026.
The headline version is simple. A chunk of the centre will be demolished, and a new Lidl will be built. The longer version has more twists. Birmingham City Council refused the plans. Lidl appealed. The Planning Inspectorate allowed the appeal and granted planning permission.
And once you read what’s actually in the decision, it becomes obvious why this has turned into such a big local talking point.
What Was Approved
The consented scheme is for the demolition of part of the existing mall and construction of a discount food store with access, parking, landscaping and work. That’s the official language, taken directly from the council’s planning portal and appeal decision.
The site address is Northfield Shopping Centre, Bristol Road South, Northfield, Birmingham B31 2JU.
Local reporting has consistently described the section being lost as the northeastern part, including the large unit that was previously occupied by Wilko. B31 Voices, which has followed the story closely, talks through the timeline and the “refused then upheld on appeal” moment in a way that matches the official record.
The Timeline
This wasn’t a smooth “submit plans, get permission, start building” situation.
The appeal case shows a start date of 19 June 2025 for the planning appeal process.
Then the key date most people will care about: the Planning Inspectorate’s appeal decision is dated 8 October 2025, and it says, in black and white, “The appeal is allowed,” and planning permission is granted, subject to conditions.
B31 Voices reports the appeal being upheld on 10 October 2025, which lines up with the decision being issued just before that.
So yes, the “approved in late 2025” framing is accurate. It’s not a rumour. It’s a signed decision.
Why The Appeal Win Matters More Than People Think
Planning appeals isn’t a side quest. They’re a proper second look at the whole thing.
When the Planning Inspectorate allows an appeal, it means an independent inspector has decided the scheme should go ahead, even though the local authority refused it.
In this case, the decision explicitly references the original council application number, 2023/07943/PA, and then grants permission “in accordance with the terms of the application” and the submitted plans, with conditions attached.
There was also an application for costs from Lidl against the council, and that was refused in a separate costs decision issued the same day. That part matters because it shows the inspector didn’t accept that the council acted so unreasonably that it should pay Lidl’s costs.
So the outcome is a bit of both. Lidl got permission. The council didn’t get publicly slapped with costs.
What The New Lidl Is Likely To Look Like
The documents don’t read like a glossy brochure, so they won’t list things like “bakery” in the way a press release might. What they do confirm is the type of development: a discount food store, new access arrangements, parking, landscaping, and associated works.
Local reporting adds the practical bits people ask first: jobs and how the site will function. B31 Voices reports expectations of around 40 jobs being created and frames the project as a replacement for a section that has become underused.
If you want one thing that feels genuinely “new” here, it’s the way the scheme leans into public space instead of creating another sealed retail box.
The Walkway And “Public Realm” Bit
One of the most interesting parts of the story is that it isn’t only about a supermarket.
Local coverage points to the creation of a new pedestrian route and improvements that make the area feel less closed off, linking the High Street side to Victoria Common. B31 Voices mentions this as a meaningful change to how the site works for people walking through the area.
And if you’ve ever tried to navigate parts of Northfield on foot, you’ll understand why that lands.
A supermarket can be an anchor, sure. But a route that makes a place easier to move through changes daily behaviour. It nudges footfall. It makes “popping in” more realistic. That’s how local centres get a bit of life back, without pretending it’s 2002 again.
Parking, Access, And The Small Stuff People Will Argue About
Any new supermarket plan triggers the same questions.
Where do cars go? Will it make traffic worse? Will it kill the smaller shops?
The approved scheme includes access and parking as part of the development description.
Local reporting has mentioned a surface car park and EV charging, but the safest way to frame it is this: the development includes parking and associated access works, and the detailed numbers and design will be governed by the approved plans and conditions attached to the permission.
That sounds cautious because it is. The conditions are where the real detail sits.
The Bigger Shift Behind This Story
This whole thing fits a pattern playing out across the UK.
Local shopping centres that lost a key tenant or never recovered from changing habits are increasingly being reshaped around essentials. Food retail. Discount retail. Services people still use even when they’re watching their spending.
The fact that the appeal was allowed for a discount food store on a brownfield section of an existing retail site tells you where the “viable use” argument is landing right now.
And it’s not hard to see why. A vacant large unit doesn’t pull footfall. A supermarket does. Even people who hate the idea still end up using it because it’s close, predictable, and usually cheaper.
What Northfield Gains, And What It Might Lose
Let’s be honest. You don’t demolish part of a centre without losing something.
You lose the chance that the old unit gets reinvented into something exciting. You lose the “maybe one day” fantasy. That’s the emotional bit.
But you gain something immediate: activity, jobs, a reason for people to come to the north end of the high street again, and a site that stops looking abandoned.
B31 Voices reports that Northfield’s MP described the approval as good news for rejuvenating the area, which reflects the broader “anchor store” argument.
The debate will continue, because it always does. Some residents will see it as practical. Others will see it as another step away from a mixed high street. Both reactions can be true at once.
What Happens Next
Permission being granted doesn’t mean bulldozers arrive the next morning.
The appeal decision grants planning permission subject to conditions. Meeting those conditions, finalising construction details, and actually scheduling works is what turns “approved” into “built”.
But the key point is settled. The legal hurdle that mattered most has been cleared, so the Lidl supermarket approved to replace the Northfield Shopping Centre section is confirmed.
And if you’re looking at Northfield as a case study, the story isn’t really “Lidl is coming.” The story is “a struggling section of a centre is being reshaped into something that planners and inspectors believe is a better long-term use.”
Whether it feels better in real life will depend on the build quality, how the public space works, and whether footfall actually spreads to the remaining shops.
So, are you in the “finally, something useful” camp or the “this isn’t what we needed” camp?
Sources and References
- Planning Inspectorate: Appeal Decision: APP/P4605/W/25/3367570 – Northfield Shopping Centre. The definitive legal document (issued 8 October 2025) granting permission for the Lidl development.
- Planning Inspectorate: Costs Decision: Lidl Great Britain Ltd vs Birmingham City Council. Details the refusal of the cost award and the inspector’s view on the council’s conduct.
- Birmingham City Council: Planning Application Portal – 2023/07943/PA. The official local record tracking the project from original submission to the final appeal status.
- Birmingham City Council: Minutes of the Planning Committee (10 April 2025). Primary record of the debate that led to the initial refusal.
- B31 Voices: New Northfield Lidl store to go ahead as appeal upheld. Reporting on the 10 October 2025 victory and community impact.
- Birmingham Live: Birmingham shopping centre set to be partially demolished as Lidl wins planning appeal. News coverage, including quotes from Laurence Turner MP and local residents.
- B31 Voices: Blow for Lidl as planning for Northfield store REFUSED. Historical context for the initial April 2025 setback.
