Business reporter(wp/es):
Discount supermarket chain Lidl has been given the green light to build a new £70 million London headquarters.
The German firm was granted permission by Kingston Council to relocate its head office across south-west London to Tolworth after it bought land off Jubilee Way.
The company moved into its current headquarters in Wimbledon back in 1998 but said it had now outgrown the site.
It argued the move was crucial to support its 19,000 employees and create more jobs across the UK.
A final decision to rubber stamp the development is expected to be made by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan in the new year, with bosses hopeful the site will be ready before 2020.
The approval, which was given on Thursday, comes as the firm announced it wanted to ramp up its investments in London.
Bosses revealed plans to build 250 new stores in the capital which will create up to 5,000 new jobs.
Ingo Fischer, Lidl UK Board Director for Expansion and Development, said: “We have worked very closely with the Royal Borough of Kingston’s planning officers since July 2015 and are greatly encouraged by the committee’s resolution to grant planning consent.
Our new headquarters not only signify an investment in our own infrastructure and workforce, but also highlight our wider investment ambitions within London as Lidl UK continues to experience incredible growth.
"Once the planning commitments have been agreed with Kingston, the consent will be referred to the Mayor’s Office to be concluded.
“We hope to receive the Mayor of London’s feedback and to progress with the plans early in the new year.”
Leader of Kingston Council, Cllr Kevin Davis, said: "We welcome what is one of the biggest investments in London this year coming to Tolworth. It will act as a foundation stone for the regeneration of the wider area.
"This is not only good for the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames but also demonstrates that a forward-thinking council, working with a supportive Mayor, can deliver a post-Brexit London that is 'open for business'."
In November, Lidl UK became the first supermarket to announce its staff would receive a pay rise in line with the latest Living Wage Foundation rate.
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