Tartu City Government issued a building permit for the store, run by German discount supermarket chain Lidl, on Kalda street in March, but last week Maxima submitted an application to the Tartu Administrative Court to revoke the building permit and apply primary legal protection, writes regional daily Tartu Postimees (link in Estonian).

Maxima cites an overabundance of stores in the area, the article said. As reported by ERR News last year, Maxima had already challenged the new store, in the Annelinn District of Estonia's second city.

"In my opinion, this is a promising dispute. In legal terms, a detailed [planning] plan can be challenged by anyone in order to protect objective legality if the city has erred, but a building permit can only be challenged to protect rights, though this complaint is also to protect general legality," said senior legal attorney at the Tartu City Government legal service Kadri Valdre.

Valdre added that if the court suspends the building permit, the store cannot be built in the near future, whereas if it does not, there is no obstacle to building.

Lidl has started construction of an outlet in the eastern city of Narva, and chain's new facilities in Tallinn are currently being completed.

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