Lidl Northern Ireland submits full planning approval for new, relocated Cookstown store, replacing its first outlet to open on the island of Ireland
Lidl Northern Ireland today confirmed plans to build a new, state-of-the-art supermarket in Cookstown as part of a £8 million planned investment, creating 18 additional jobs in the town and expanding its existing retail team to 40 employees.
Around 200 jobs will be supported during the construction and development phases ahead of its opening next year.
A full planning application has been lodged with Mid Ulster District council following a successful and extensive community consultation in August, held within its existing store at Station Square, outlining its plans to completely replace and relocate to a new location at Orritor Road.
The current store at Station Square was Lidl Northern Ireland’s first in the region and the first store to be built on the island of Ireland in 1999. Confirmation of its plans for a new store in Cookstown comes as the retailer prepares to mark its 25th anniversary in Northern Ireland next year.
As the region’s fastest-growing supermarket retailer, Lidl Northern Ireland’s new investment in Cookstown marks the latest in a series of store developments and expansion of its local retail estate, where it operates a network of 41 stores.
The new Cookstown store will include an enlarged 1,670 sq. m sales floor within the new 2,475 sq. m building, incorporating wider aisles, an instore bakery, toilets, baby-changing facilities and employee areas built to exacting standards with sustainability at the fore.
Welcoming the announcement, Ivan Ryan, Lidl Northern Ireland’s Regional Managing Director, said:
“We’re thrilled to progress plans to create a new state-of-the-art store for the residents of Cookstown, providing the local community and beyond with even more access to high quality products at best-value prices.
Our Cookstown store – the first to be built on the island of Ireland in 1999 – was one of the stores where I completed my initial training many years ago so I’m delighted that our exciting plans to invest £8 million in the development of a new retail facility in the town will become a reality in my tenure as Regional Managing Director.
In a prime and convenient new location on the bustling Orritor Road, with modern facilities, our new Cookstown store will provide our growing number of customers with a premier shopping experience.
It’s poignant and fitting that plans are progressing to prepare to break ground on this project in 2024, our 25th anniversary year. This is a special project for us, and we’re excited to deliver this new Concept store to a very deserving community whilst also creating new jobs for the local area.”
We are delighted to now lodge a full planning proposal, backed by local residents and stakeholders, to deliver this significant project.”
Lidl Northern Ireland is currently preparing to open a new store in Strabane in early December and last month secured planning consent from Causeway Coast and Glens council to replace its Coleraine store with a new outlet at Riverside Retail Park.
The Coleraine project will see a vacant unit demolished to make way for the new 2,475 sq. m Lidl store, supporting around 35 jobs.
Lidl Northern Ireland also starts work this month on creating a new, modern ‘Concept’ design store as part of a wider £10 million investment in Carryduff Shopping Centre which will open next year.
It currently has plans to extend its network to 50 by the end of the decade.
Earlier this year, Lidl Northern Ireland revealed that it spent a record £455 million in the local agri-food sector, sourcing its supplies from around 60 producers in the region – the lion’s share, or £390 million of which, was exported to stores across the UK, Ireland and Europe.
Recent new supplier additions include Holmes Bakery in Portadown, Enniskillen-based artisan condiment supplier Erne Larder and apple producers Natural Umber, based in nearby Dungannon.