THE opening date for Lidl's new store in Tilbury has been set and the discount retailer will fling open the doors to its new site on Thursday, 17 September with the help of children from the town's St Mary's Catholic Primary School.

The first customers will be welcomed at around 8am and youngsters from St Mary's will assist with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new £10 million building on St Chad's Road, which was formerly Bumbles Yard Livery Stables and paddocks.

The arrival of Lidl in Tilbury has been warmly welcomed, with more than 200 people showing support for it during a consultation process at the planning stage. It has created 40 new jobs.

The new Tilbury Lidl store. Picture by Danny Parmenter, Essex Skyshots.

Kate Bleloch, Regional Head of Property for Lidl GB, said: "We are incredibly excited to join the local community and businesses in Tilbury.

"This fantastic new store is a direct response to the local demand for high-quality, affordable groceries, and we couldn't be prouder to welcome the community inside.

"A huge thank you to everyone who helped us turn these plans into a reality - we can't wait to start making a real difference to your weekly shop."

The new building and surroundings have been created by FDT Construction Services. It contains a car park with 123 spaces including six spaces will be for disabled drivers, nine for parents and children, and two will have electric vehicle charging points.

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Opening hours will be 8am to 10pm Monday to Saturday and 10am to 4pm on Sundays.