A MAJOR supermarket chain Lidl has revealed it is eyeing up Leigh and seven more south Essex locations for new stores.

The discounter has revealed where it wants to open new stores across the East of England with eight "wish list" locations in south Essex.

It comes as Lidl announces plans to open hundreds of new stores across the country, creating thousands of new jobs.

The list of potential locations includes Leigh as well as Billericay, Benfleet, Vange, Wickford, Rayleigh, Rochford and Greyhound retail park in Southend.

Richard Taylor, Lidl GB chief development officer, commented: “Having fortified our infrastructure with significant investments like Luton, which is the largest warehouse in the Lidl world, we're proud to have achieved record market share this month.

“We have also been the fastest growing bricks and mortar supermarket for the past seven months in a row.

“With an exceptional store network and our laser focus on operational excellence, we’re welcoming more customers through our doors than ever before, which positions us perfectly for continued expansion.

“As we celebrate our 30th year, our commitment to ensuring that all households across the country have access to high quality produce at affordable prices is stronger than ever.

“We’re planning to open hundreds of new Lidl stores but ultimately see no ceiling on our ambition or growth potential. This is why we’re continuing to invest in new locations whilst exploring innovative routes to expansion.

“As we look ahead, we’re excited to welcome even more new shoppers to our existing stores, as well as those we’re planning to open across the country in the coming months and years.”

Lidl is specifically looking for sites in prominent locations with easy access and strong pedestrian or traffic flow, with 1.5-plus acres for a standalone store and up to four for mixed-use schemes.

Sites should allow for unit sizes between 18,000 and 26,500 square feet and more than 100 dedicated car parking spaces.

Should a site be successfully identified in Lidl's "wish list" locations, the supermarket giant will pay a finders’ fee of either 1.5 per cent of the total freehold purchase price, or 10 per cent of the first year’s rent for leaseholds, which would equate to £22,500 for a completed £1.5m site purchase.