Lidl in advanced talks to take over Wickford's former Co-op site, empty since May 2022

Lidl has confirmed it is in advanced negotiations to buy the derelict former Co-op off Golden Jubilee Way in Wickford, which has stood empty since May 2022, and Basildon Council has agreed to release two strips of council-owned land for the store's parking, with a planning application expected in the new year. Several earlier schemes for the site failed, including a supermarket with 72 flats above, and the council describes securing a supermarket as a key part of regenerating Wickford town centre. For buyers and sellers in Wickford and the surrounding parts of Basildon borough, a working supermarket on a long-vacant central site improves day-to-day convenience, which tends to support the appeal of homes within walking distance. It is not a done deal yet: contracts have not been exchanged and planning permission is still to be sought.