GERMAN discount supermarket giant Lidl is the latest big name to announce it is heading for Bolton and bringing with it 500 new jobs for local people.

The firm has bought a large plot at the flagship Logistics North employment hub in Over Hulton where it plans to build a new regional distribution facility.

The £22.5 million purchase from site owners Harworth makes Lidl the latest in a long line of major international companies to set up shop at the former Cutacre mining site near Junction 4 of the M61 including fellow German food giant Aldi, missile manufacturer MBDA and mining group Joy Global.

Lidl UK will now work with Bolton Council to develop its plans for the site — with a planning application expected to be submitted later in the year.

Adrienne Howells, Lidl UK’s head of warehouse expansion said: “With more British customers choosing Lidl as their family supermarket we are laser focused on the sustainable growth of our business.

“Once again we are delighted to reveal plans for another Lidl distribution centre in Great Britain, bringing investment to Bolton, new jobs and additional support to our existing and future stores in the north of England.”

The announcement comes weeks after The Bolton News revealed that a mystery international company had agreed to launch a base at Logistics North and create 1200 jobs — it is understood the identity of that firm will be revealed soon.

More on Logistics North:

READ: Mystery firm and 1200 jobs on the way to Bolton 

READ: Aldi opens its largest UK site in Bolton with new distribution centre 

Councillor Cliff Morris, Leader of Bolton Council said the Lidl UK announcement is another big boost for Business in Bolton.

He said: “This is great news for Bolton as another well-known name signs up to Logistics North.“Through this latest multi-million pound investment we are pleased to have secured 500 new jobs in addition to the 1,200 already employed on the site.

“We remain committed to continuing to work with all our partners to bring more tenants jobs and investment to the site in the near future.”

Phil Wilson, managing director of capital growth at Harworth Group plc, added: “Logistics North has established itself as one of the North of England’s leading distribution locations and we are naturally delighted to welcome a leading company like Lidl to Logistics North. 

“Our extensive work in both remediating the site and masterplanning it for employment uses continues to yield results for both Harworth and the site’s occupiers.  We look forward to welcoming further occupiers to the site in 2017.”