Work has started on a new Lidl supermarket which was almost scuppered by store wars.

The German company was first given the nod to open a branch off Medway Road, Gillingham, in April 2020.

But the bid was blighted by legal challenges lodged by Asda, which has a superstore just across the road, and Tesco also raised objections.

Councillors were asked to consider the plans four times before permission was granted.

Following a decision in Lidl's favour in February 2021, Asda sought a third judicial review.

This led to planning permission being quashed in September 2021, forcing Lidl to apply for permission once again.

But councillors approved the plan in October 2021, and criticised Asda for ‘gangster-like behaviour’ over its opposition to the proposals.

Asda had argued Lidl's plans to open a 1,669-square metre store across the road from its much larger Gillingham Pier superstore would cause harm and damage to retail offers in the town centre.

Tesco, which has a store 3.5 miles away at Bowaters Roundabout, also raised similar concerns.

At the time Cllr Martin Potter said: "My colleagues are incredibly disappointed in Asda.

“I think they are behaving like gangsters with deep pockets trying to run their rivals out of town, not dissimilar to the Las Vegas mobsters who tried to keep their rivals off the strip back in the day."

There were 28 other sites considered for the supermarket - these included Dockside Outlet Centre and an industrial estate off Owens Way, Gillingham.

Access to the new store will be from Medway Road and there will be 96 parking spaces.

The branch has been designed to be ultra eco-friendly and it is expected to create 40 jobs. Work is expected to be completed this summer.

Lidl’s regional head of property, Paul Mason said: "We are delighted to be bringing a new store to Medway Road, which marks another milestone in our ambitious store expansion programme."

The Gillingham store will be Lidl's first branch in the Medway Towns.

In July last year, the company applied for permission to build a second store on the site of the former Cuxton landfill pit in Roman Way, Strood.

The application is still ongoing, with more documents being submitted to the council at the end of January following objections from people living nearby who have raised concerns about increased traffic.