COUNCILLORS have still yet to hear anything about getting the Lidl supermarket to plant new hedges around its store in Wellington.

Members of Wellington Town Council’s environment committee were highly critical of Lidl in March where they spoke of their disappointment at the company’s failure to adhere to conditions imposed when planning permission was granted in April 2022 to build the store beside the Cades roundabout.

Around 100-feet of mature hedgerow was removed when the Lidl store and car park was being built and the company was told that the planting had to be replaced along Taunton Road and Nynehead Road.

But four years on and the hedgerow that was taken out has still yet to be replaced and local councillors believe Somerset Council – the planning authority – needs to take enforcement action.

Councillors unanimously voted in favour on March 18 of writing to Somerset Council’s planning enforcement department about the situation.

But four months later on July 8 and the council’s environment committee were told that they were still awaiting a reply from Somerset Council.

Town council open spaces manager, Darren Hill, said: “We have contacted planning enforcement in relation to requiring Lidl to reinstate the hedge, but at the time of writing have not received a response.”

Former Mayor, Cllr Janet Lloyd, suggested the council write again and go to the top of the Somerset Council chain of command by contacting its chief executive Duncan Sharkey about the issue.

And she added: “Other than that – perhaps we should do the work ourselves and put new hedges in and send Somerset Council the bill.”

The most damning verdict on the issue back in March came from Cllr John Thorne who said that Lidl had deliberately avoided putting in replacement planting so that everyone could see the store – whereas a 6ft hedge around the site would have acted as screening.