Planners approve changes to Lidl supermarket plans

Planners approve changes to Lidl supermarket plans

15 May 2024

PLANNERS have approved a proposal to vary aspects of planning approval granted to supermarket giant Lidl for a new £3m store in Newcastle.

The leading retailer has submitted proposals to vary aspects of the approval for the new store at the former St Mary’s Girls’ Primary School site in the town which is adjacent to the Tullybrannigan residential area.

The new store development also includes a new £500,000 base for the Mourne Mountain Rescue Team at the 3.5 acre Shanslieve Drive site, with entry to the proposed store via Bryansford Road.

Details of the store’s application to vary permission for the multi-million pound store will be presented to members of Newry, Mourne and Down Council’s Planning Committee today.

The supermarket giant is seeking to amend access, road works and service management components of the planning approval.

Lidl is changing the access to the new store which has been agreed by the Department for Infrastructure. 

The company is providing a two metre adopted footpath along Bryansford Road which is designed to improve pedestrian safety. There are no changes to the planned pedestrian crossing, while the existing access to the site from Shanslieve Drive will be closed.

Planners say the requirement that the new store does nor open until all necessary road works have been completed remains in place.

Lidl has also secured the green light to amend the so-called the new store’s service management plan.

The revised report considers the measures to be implemented to ensure the servicing of the new store will be managed in a safe and efficient manner.

Car parking for 147 spaces is available at the front of the new store with the Bryansford Road entrance used by both customers and delivery vehicles.

There will be one lorry delivery daily with waste generated at the store removed by the same vehicle, with Lidl insisting the potential for conflict with customers and pedestrian traffic is low as a result of this.

Deliveries will be scheduled outside the traditional peak times of 8am and 9am and 5pm and 6pm and made to the loading bay. Lidl is also appointing an operations manager and service vehicles will not be permitted to park on the Bryansford Road.

The store’s net retail floorspace will not exceed 1,338 square metres, with no goods or merchandise positioned on the forecourt. Almost 270 square metres of floorspace can be used for non-convenience retailing.

Opening hours are 8am until 9pm from Monday to Saturday and 1pm to 6pm on Sunday.

The new store will not be permitted to open until the foul water and surface drainage works have been submitted and approved by the relevant authority and constructed by the developer in line with the approved design.

Plans to redevelop the former primary school site were originally submitted in January 2018 with permission being sought to bulldoze the existing school to pave the way for the construction of a new food store and the dedicated centre for the volunteers who run the mountain rescue team. Lidl, which currently employs 14 staff, claims its proposal will create 12 new jobs.

The proposal includes plans for almost 150 parking spaces, eight of which are reserved for mountain rescue team members.  A new pedestrian crossing at the Bryansford Road junction with Shimna Road also forms part of the proposal.