Plans Unveiled for Lidl to Replace Point Complex

Plans to demolish Bracknell's Point leisure complex and replace it with a new Lidl have been submitted.

The retailer wants to redevelop the vacant site on Skimped Hill Lane, next to the Peel Centre. The complex once housed an Odeon, Hollywood Bowl and Pizza Hut, all now closed.

A formal planning application to Bracknell Forest Council proposes knocking down the existing buildings for a new store and car park.

Lidl is proposing a 2,184 sq m store, including a 1,364 sq m sales area, a 430 sq m warehouse and staff facilities.

The plans show 103 parking spaces, including disabled and parent-and-child bays, plus bicycle and motorcycle spaces and electric vehicle charging points.

Lidl says the development would bring a vacant brownfield site back into use, improve local shopping choice and create up to 40 jobs.

The company has previously said staff would be paid at least A313.45 an hour, with pay rising with length of service.

The proposed building would sit on the eastern edge of the site to maximise visibility from Skimped Hill Roundabout, with a full-height glazed frontage and a taller roofline.

Plans include new pedestrian links, better access for cyclists, retained and upgraded route between the Peel Centre and town centre, and extra landscaping.

There would be 384 solar panels on the roof, capable of generating up to 180kW, plus energy-efficient lighting, heating and refrigeration.

The council is now considering the application. Residents, businesses and others can submit comments through the planning portal before a decision is made.

If permission is granted Lidl says it would aim to begin construction as soon as possible, with earlier material indicating an opening in 2027 or 2028.

View the plans and add a comment here.

Katie French, Local Democracy Reporter