A HUGE warehouse development on the outskirts of Southampton that could create up to 400 jobs has moved a step closer to becoming a reality.

An application for planning permission has been lodged for cut-price German supermarket firm Lidl to build a giant distribution centre on land next to the M271 motorway.

The move towards building the 43,000 square metre facility comes just days after it was revealed the retailer had pulled out of a deal to open a new store in Southampton.

Despite negotiations breaking down with Southampton City Council over the purchase of the Westridge Road Car Park in Portswood, Lidl is keen to create its first south coast warehouse in the city.

The facility would serve an area stretching from Poole to Brighton and up to Newbury, operating 24/7.

business leaders have welcomed the prospect of the distribution centre as a boost to the local economy, but the application has also led to fears being raised about increasing pressure on the “overloaded” road network into the west of Southampton.

Demolition Six houses will have to be demolished to make way for the development which would stand up to 17 metres-high on the current greenfield site south of Brownhill Way, near Adanac Park.

Tim Jobling, an executive trustee at Barker-Mill Estates, which has jointly submitted the planning application as site owner, said the new warehouse would bring employment for people in Southampton.

He said: “The jobs will in the majority be local jobs – Lidl would much rather have people who can walk to work than drive from Portsmouth.

“We’re engaging with the local community to talk through any issues that they might have with it, and we’ve had a very positive response.

“The Business community is very supportive – what they’re very keen on is the fact a big multi-national company is investing in Southampton.”

“We’ve done our research on traffic. The authorities have accepted that the application doesn’t cause problems on the roads and we’re trying to allay people’s fears on that.

Because the site extends over the authority boundary, the planning application has been lodged with both Southampton City and Test Valley Borough councils.