£6m Lidl store in Carryduff gets planning green light

£6m Lidl store in Carryduff gets planning green light

Plans to open a new £6m Lidl store at the former Carryduff Shopping Centre have been given the green light.

The planning application to build the food store has been approved unanimously by members of the Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council planning committee and construction could begin next year.

The project includes an investment of £16million in the locality and will create 35 new permanent jobs, 100 retail jobs and support 250 more through the construction phase.

The current site, which has been derelict for the previous five years since the departure of Supervalu, will now be demolished.

The proposals will also see three retail units, a cafe, bookmakers, a drive-thru cafe, provision of car parking, landscaping and associated site work.

A total of 230 car parking spaces are to be provided in total as part of this scheme. This will include four EV charging spaces.

Positive step

Independent councillor Nathan Anderson said it was a positive step in the right direction for the town.

“Since 2017 local people have been without any functional town centre impacting on the environment, community, and economy of Carryduff,” he said.

“Having certainty on the anchor store is a big win for the viability of this project. This application has been widely welcomed by eager Carryduff citizens but also others wider afield.

“This application achieves these ends. The applicants have been very amenable to the community and have tried to provide community space.

“This will be a huge improvement on what is there currently and from a heritage perspective, the historic red gates of the Mourne conduit will be preserved. I know our local Carryduff history groups will be pleased to hear this news.”

Chair of the planning committee, Cllr Alex Swan, said: “I welcome this significant investment to the Carryduff area, which will rejuvenate the former shopping centre site and serve as a new focal point for the town centre.

“Lidl’s decision to continue to invest here is evidence of the advantages of setting up business in Lisburn Castlereagh.

“We have excellent infrastructure, access to a talented workforce, and great local supply chains.”

The approved plans will also fulfil part of the council’s Castlereagh Urban Framework which aims to regenerate the Carryduff Shopping Centre by 2032.

Lidl has also secured planning permission to demolish and rebuild its store on Belfast’s Shore Road. The north Belfast supermarket will close on January 5 to facilitate the start of work on the £4m project.

A new replacement store will also open on the Castlereagh Road in July 2022 in an £8m joint venture with Draperstown developer Heron Brothers.

The company has also lodged applications for similar replacement store projects in Strabane, Newtownards, Craigavon and Belfast’s Stewartstown Road.