The plans for Lidl in Penicuik, Imrie Place etc.

Great news for the residents of Imrie Place, at least it delays us looking at the eye sore for a wee bit longer

I am beginning to wonder if any of the plans for shops will ever happen. Perhaps it is all just a ruse with each one trying to push the other one...no sign of Lidl or work starting on Aldi plus nothing happening with the expansion of Tesco. They are now applying for a wind turbine too! What next?
Does anyone know anything about the 99p shop in the High Street as it is having a big clearance sale at the moment? Hopefully it won't be another empty unit....

yeah, the residents of Imrie Place have heard nothing further about the exciting plans for Lidl. The last I heard was when Sam mentioned that the builders Lidl use had gone bust. I know the council also had concerns over the road layout once Lidl was built as they wanted to put the bus stop in front of the health centre. Closing off the entrance to the car park at Imrie Place will be a big mistake - what happens when an ambulance is trying to get along to the health centre (which they do frequently) and they can't get along because the bin men are emptying the buckets or someone is getting a delivery - they won't even be able to reverse and turn at the car park entrance, they'll have to sit and wait or reverse right along Imrie Place out on to Kirkhill Road - very safe! we did put this argument forward at the time we objected but hey! we are just the residents, what do we know!

Yes unfortunately the 99p shop is closing down so that will be yet another empty shop unit, why don't Lidl or Aldi open there instead.

A big shock today to see a digger in action at the former site of Edwards / Oxfam shop in the precinct. Surely this cannot mean they ae actually starting work on the long-promised shops and flats!

Sad news about the 99p shop as it always seemed pretty busy. I imagine that Aldi and Lidl rejected it due to the steps which make it a non-starter with the disabled access requirements. It did used to be the Co-op supermarket many years ago but is probably too small for that use today.

I heard that the 99p shop in Penicuik was doing fine. However, the problem was that the company which owned it and the other shops was in trouble.

Has anyone heard anymore about Lidl coming to Penicuik? I have heard from a few people that its not going ahead now.

It certainly looks that way at the moment with the billboard blank and no sign of any work commencing. I am sure they could have got a new contractor started by now. As usual, no one will just come out and say what is or is not happening so the rumour mill goes into action.

Has anyone heard anything more to confirm if Lidl are going ahead??? Some new shops are desperately needed in Penicuik as the current stores (T**** and S********d) could do with some competition to buck their ideas up. I keep expecting the latter store to have the Samaritans waiting outside as it is so depressing to visit.
Surely someone knows what is going in in the "Ghost Town" of Midlothian

I don't think the plans are going ahead now. There was a couple of guys there at the start of the year that looked like they were doing drill tests but thats been about it. I don't think they can come up with a re-location for the bus stop as the plans submitted originally showed the bus stop being moved to outside the Health Centre but this was thought to be a road safety issue and that part of the plan was knocked back. Totally agree about S********d though, that place needs a rocket up it, I only stay across the road but would rather walk to Tesco than go there! maybe now the Co-op are in charge we'll see a change but I wouldn't hold my breath, maybe Lidl should move there!

gonzo wrote:

Totally agree about S********d though, that place needs a rocket up it, I only stay across the road but would rather walk to Tesco than go there! maybe now the Co-op are in charge we'll see a change but I wouldn't hold my breath, maybe Lidl should move there!

In my opinion S********d will never change until the staff do - it is exactly the same as it was when it was Safeway, ditto Presto because the staff have barely changed and with that the staff attitude - both to customers and each other! I wouldn't name individuals but collectively they make this store what it is.

elljay wrote:

In my opinion S********d will never change until the staff do -

They seem to have a very positive attitude when it come to employing people with slight learning or other difficulties - so good luck to them!

It appears that the Lidl store is still going to happen - got a leaflet in with the paper at the weekend and Penicuik is down to have a new store opening in 2008. Perhaps they have come to a deal with the owners of the shopping centre to use one of the new units being built or maybe take over one of the other ones ( I won't say anything about which one might be suitable )
I just wish they would give out some information so we would know if anything POSITIVE was happening.

From what I heard the new units which were suppose to be getting built next to the Somerfield car park are to be take-aways, have also heard that it's to be a fast food place that will be going into R S McColl oh and a Witherspoons pub is also suppose to be heading our way. Gotta love the Pencuik rumour mill

It would be great if Lidl didn't have to build a new unit in Imrie Place car park and were able to find another building to occupy as I dread to think what Imrie Place will be like, its bad enough trying to get parked as it is, courtsey of the snooker club as it seems they don't like to walk to far! Although I don't think the Lidl will end up in the car park as there was still a lot of issues that were to be resolved re: moving the bus stop etc and that won't happen by the end of the year!

Shocking news!!! On Monday, a big crane was busy offloading the steelwork for the new retail units and flats beside Somerfield (the old Edwards and Oxfam shop site) so they are actually going ahead with them.
I heard that Lidl probably won't open until February now and nothing so far about Aldi.
I hope the site of something happening in the precinct does not result in too many people keeling over in shock!

Was in Penicuik today and couldnt believe the size of the new units they are huge and really tall. What are they going to be 2 or 3 stories high. I just hope they can get decent shops in them.

Had a look in the petshop, dont want to be to negative with it just opening but doubt I will be rushing back for a while.

By early summer 2009 Penicuik should be a much better place for supermarket shopping with FOUR outlets, two of which will no doubt have bucked up their ideas dramatically due to the competition.
Lidl are definitely opening at Imrie Place with construction work just waiting for the roadworks to be done then they hope to be open in the spring. Aldi have now applied to demolish the former Noble's buildings behind Tesco so we should see some work starting there fairly soon (and probably lots of special offers at the nearby supermarket).
I am certainly looking forward to having more choice in the town!

I was speaking to a neighbour the other day who actually phoned Lidl direct to find out if they are or aren't coming to Penicuik and they were told that work is due to start in the next two weeks but they have been saying that for nearly a year now so watch this space.

Well its looks Lidl will start building next week. We now have signs up in Imrie Place car park to say that from this Sunday 19th October the car park will be closed. So for all the people visiting the doctors surgery, attending the snooker hall or for residents in the street, you have got a fight on your hands to get parked somewhere without having to walk a distance to get there.

Its going to be a nightmare

Why should Edinburgh have all the fun with roadworks? Penicuik wants a piece of the (in)action too

Well as you can never get parked in the carpark at Somerfield which is always amazing seeing penicuik is always dead were else are you suppose to park if you want to shop.

I know drive down to Straiton, leave your car in the park and ride and get the bus up.

Sounds like there will be a lot of fun down there next week!

Why could they not expand the Somerfield car park BEFORE closing the other one as there is plenty of wasted space at the far side of it. Of course - that is a sensible idea so just NOT allowed!!!

Yes, totally agree, this is an extremely stupid and costly move to Penicuik.

I fear now that Penicuik shops may sadly be doomed (i hear the dry cleaner is also leaving because of high rent) because if nobody can park who is going to fight to get a space in Somerfield car park to come to a handful of shops when they can go to the likes of Straiton. Yes, lets close this car park as its coming up for christmas and nobody will be doing there shopping here anyway - good thinking councillor. Imrie Place car park will be coned off from close of business on saturday for at least 6 months until the Lidl is built and the new road layout has been done (apparently this car park will no longer be run by Euro car parks but by Lidl itself). Should be really fun when a lorry delivering building materials gets stuck in Imrie Place and blocks the road up for the doctors and ambulances too get to the health centre, but hey what do the residents of Imrie Place know, we just have to live with it every day. Why could Lidl or Aldi for that matter go to the old crystal factory where there would have been ample parking? sorry, way too obvious!!

At the moment the snooker hall in Imrie Place has a competition on and there are at least 15 cars parked in the car park, some even stupidly parking on the hill entrance to the car park just for the sake of being lazy and not wanting to walk from the bottom of the car park. Where will they all park now, I certainly won't be parking my car where I can't see it.

oh its been total fun and games at Imrie Place car the last couple of days. We have had the police here as people from the snooker hall were parking all of the place and over peoples driveways but couldn't move the cars because they had been drinking. I am off today and there have been a lot of extremely angry people who have not been able to get into the car park because there is nothing up to say it is closed. I have just called Midlothian Council to see if they can get some signs put up and they are going to speak to the developers. the shops are also being hit hard already and its only been 3 days, Greggs was dead when i was there this morning, I have watched them queueing to get into Somerfield car park and then changed their minds. Apparently there are signs at the Health Centre car park to advise that they have opened Jackson Street school car park but its not that big.
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with Lidl not due to be opened until February Penicuik is DOOMED!

Most would say that Penicuik's doomed anyway!!

Of course Greggs being "dead" has nothing to do with it being the school holidays!
You're not surely suggesting that Lidl was just going to appear magically without any disruption, are you?
The best chance Penicuik has got is to get that store built and the three shops and the flats in the precinct finished. It might not work but for God's sake let's try to be a little but positive about the whole thing.
Of course this would all have been done a year ago if the Luddites hadn't disrupted everything, as they always do every time anyone tries to do anything to improve the place.