SUPERMARKET giant Lidl has revealed new plans to extend its delivery hours at its Burnham-on-Sea store.

The store in Oxford Street is seeking permission to extend its Sunday and Bank Holiday delivery hours from between 9am and 6pm to 7am and 8pm.

In 2003 when plans for the Lidl store were originally approved, Sedgemoor District Council placed a condition on Lidl which said there could be no deliveries to the site before 9pm and before 7.30am each day.

In a planning statement, Rachel Brady-Hooper from Lidl said the supermarket giant 'strongly believes' the new delivery window will have a 'minimal impact' on nearby residents as the delivery bay is adjoined either side by the store.

She said: "Lidl is committed to providing a pleasant shopping and working environment for all customers and staff.

"The proposal will allow for minimal disruption to the store during trading hours on both Sundays, Mondays and Bank Holidays, resulting in maximum customer service during these times.

"Furthermore, this proposal would result in less need for HGVs to travel during busy times; reducing impact on traffic congestion and carbon emissions from sitting in traffic.

"Houses that do not benefit from the building sheltering the delivery bay, benefit from a distance of over 36 meters from the bay; mitigating noise impact.

"Our HGVs conduct deliveries into the store of a maximum of twice a day. HGVs turn their engines off whilst making deliveries, ensuring that there is no noise from air conditioning units.

"Deliveries on average take fifteen minutes to complete.

"It has been demonstrated that the proposed delivery hour extension will allow the Lidl store to function more efficiently a benefit will be provided to our customers, our store colleagues and to the local highways."

Comments are welcome on the application until June 7.

For details or to comment on the application visit www.sedgemoor.gov.uk/planning_online and put in application number 11/19/00048.