Plans have been approved for new Lidl stores in Belfast and Newtownards.
This week Belfast City Council’s planning committee green-lighted an application for Holywood Exchange retail park, with authority delegated to the Director of Planning and Building Control to finalise conditions.
The German firm’s proposal centres on a vacant 21,500 square foot unit next to IKEA and Harvey Norman, that was previously occupied by Wrights Sofa Land.
The £2.6million investment aims to create 26 new jobs, and involves construction of a rear extension and loading bay, alterations to the elevations, and an external trolley bay.
The site, three miles east of the city centre, is located at the primary gateway into Belfast Harbour Estate.
Also this week, Ards and North Down Council granted planning permission for a new Lidl discount foodstore, to be built opposite Castlebawn Retail Park on a two acre site of undeveloped land.
This is an area of land that will be known as the Hawksbay Retail Park. The £5.5million Newtownards plan involves the provision of 136 car parking spaces, landscaping and associated siteworks. The new building will have a modern “mono-pitched”, or single-slope, roof consisting of glass and cladding.
The new project will create 10 to 12 full-time jobs as well as 55 construction jobs while the site is being built. It involves the relocation of their existing supermarket at Jubilee Road, there since 2005.
The old supermarket building is to be retained but the foodstore is to be removed and transferred to Hawksbay.
No dates have been given for the commencement of work at either location.
