Former Lidl in Drayton Road opens as funeral services

The newest branch of the East of England Co-op Funeral Services has opened on Drayton Road after months of work. 

The former Lidl has undergone £4.5 million of renovations to become a "state-of-the-art" branch of the funeral providers.

It was officially opened by the Lord Mayor of Norwich, Councillor Vivien Thomas, on Monday, December 2.

Lord Mayor of Norwich, councillor Vivien Thomas (centre), opened the site (Image: Rob Howarth/Anglia Picture Agency) Advisors at the branch can help people plan funerals and cremations at the site, which also features a dedicated service hall where multi-faith funeral services and ceremonies will be held.

Colin Dixon-Blair, Head of Funeral Services at East of England Co-op, said: "We’re proud to be able to expand the range of services we offer our clients in Norwich.

"The opening of this new, larger branch, including our service hall and an improved, more calming space for arranging a funeral and for families to view their loved one, will significantly improve the service we can provide.

The site is also home to a service hall (Image: Rob Howarth/Anglia Picture Agency) "We understand arranging a funeral can be an upsetting time, so our new branch is designed to be as comfortable as possible."

READ MORE: Surprise as plans to transform former Lidl supermarket emerge

This is the East of England Co-op's fourteenth and now largest funeral branch in Norfolk.

The site underwent £4.5M of renovations (Image: Rob Howarth/Anglia Picture Agency) The Lidl closed in April 2023 and was shut for more than a year before the Co-op put in plans to renovate the site. 

It was one of the oldest Lidl stores in Britain having opened in 1995, just a year after the German brand opened its first 10 UK stores.

The branch will be managed by Gary Clifton and will be open from Monday to Friday between 9am to 5pm, and on Saturdays between 9am to 2pm.