Work starts on new Lidl Northern Ireland store in West Belfast
Construction work to create a new, larger and sustainably focused Lidl Northern Ireland supermarket at Stewartstown Road in West Belfast has got underway, spearheading a significant investment and jobs boost for the local area.
Lidl Northern Ireland, the region’s fastest-growing supermarket retailer, received planning approval last year from Belfast City Council following an extensive public consultation to replace the existing store and add more space as part of a new, bright and modern design that promotes sustainability and an enhanced customer shopping experience.
The existing store will remain open to customers as initial building works progress to extend to the rear of the site. The final phase of works will see the store temporarily close in early August to facilitate the demolition and rebuild of the new, state-of-the-art store. Local shoppers will be warmly accommodated at the nearby Lidl Andersonstown Road store during the temporary closure, with customers notified in advance.
This major local investment will add 20 new jobs to Lidl Northern Ireland’s established local team of 20 in West Belfast when it opens later this year, with over 100 construction jobs supported during the new build phase.
MODERN SHOPPING EXPERIENCE
Welcoming the start of construction work at Stewartstown Road, Lidl Northern Ireland’s Regional Managing Director Ivan Ryan said: “Our Stewartstown Road store was one of the first to open in the region so it’s only fitting that, in our milestone 25th anniversary year, we’re progressing construction of a modern new store for our valued local customers.”
Located next to a busy retail complex and serving a thriving community, the store’s transformation will positively impact the area, with new landscaped pathways providing improved accessibility to the store as well as a modern shopping experience that brings real choice and value to shoppers every day.
“As we break ground on the new store, we are working closely with our contractor to carefully plan construction to best meet the needs of the local community, ensuring that the existing Stewartstown Road store can remain open for as long as possible as works progress,” added Ivan Ryan.
“This is a highly anticipated project and we have liaised extensively with local representatives and the wider community to realise this significant investment. When completed, the new Stewartstown Road store will represent an outstanding addition to the local area, and we look forward to unveiling the new-look store later this year.”
SUSTAINABLE STORE
The new store will include a larger sales area of 1670 sq. m with 150 parking spaces including six dedicated accessible bays and six parent and child bays. In line with Lidl Northern Ireland’s newest stores, Stewartstown Road will also feature an in-house bakery, wider aisles and longer, more spacious checkout areas, customer bathroom and employee welfare facilities.
When opened, the Stewartstown store will also be one of the most sustainable in the region, with LED lighting, heat pumps and PV solar panels reducing carbon emissions and will include an onsite pollinator garden encouraging biodiversity.
Committed to the area, Lidl Northern Ireland has for many years made significant investments in a variety of community initiatives and in facilities designed to further participation in sport, promoting health and wellbeing for people of all ages.
This latest construction start marks an expansion milestone for Lidl Northern Ireland in the Greater Belfast area. In February, it started work on its first store in South Belfast at Boucher Road, adding to its existing Belfast city-wide network which includes Castlereagh Road, Crumlin Road, Holywood Exchange and Connswater. It also has stores on Shore Road and in Dundonald.
