TWO new supermarkets are to be built in central Scotland, Lidl has annoounced.

The stores will be built on Carlisle Road, Airdrie and Mossbell Road, Bellshill after permission was granted by planning officers at North Lanarkshire Council.

The firm said the new stores will create up to 80 new jobs for the local economy once opened and "represent Lidl’s continued commitment across Scotland".

It is part of the company’s £1.3bn investment plans across Great Britain in 2021 and 2022, it said.

Construction of the new store in Bellshill will start soon with Airdrie due to commence this summer.

This will see Lidl build sustainable stores with 1,256m² sales areas, and facilities including an instore bakery, customer toilets, and ample parking for both cars and bicycles including rapid electric vehicle charging spaces.

In preparation for the Scottish Government’s Deposit Return Scheme rollout in July 2022, the stores will also have money-back recycling stations installed.

The Airdrie site also allows for a drive thru and further future retail, which will themselves provide more job opportunities once trading.

The current owner Distell International Ltd will relocate their operations to a newly developed facility in East Kilbride.

Gordon Rafferty, Lidl GB’s regional head of property, said: “We could not be more delighted to have received planning permission for these two stores, and look forward to getting started on construction. It is fantastic that we can provide greater investment and employment opportunities for the local area. I’d like to thank the local community for their continued support, and very much look forward to opening our doors and offering our fresh, quality, great value products in the not too distant future.”

Lidl said its "ongoing success shows no signs of slowing, with the opening of a new Retail Distribution Centre in Motherwell in late 2019 and the latest Kantar Worldpanel results highlighting Lidl’s continued success with increased sales year on year and market share of 6%".