Work continues on Asda store set to open in number of weeks

Work continues on Asda store set to open in number of weeks

10 January 2024

WORK is continuing on the new temporary Asda store in Downpatrick which is due to open at the end of the month.

Planning permission is being sought for the store which is just under one third smaller than the original shopping centre which is expected to be bulldozed and rebuilt after suffering major damage during last November’s flood.

Permission is being sought for three years for the temporary store which will include a sales floor, chillers and freezers, plant area and staff facilities. Work is currently underway to fit out the building with shelving.

Current car parking provision at the Downe retail park will be reconfigured as the temporary store will result in the loss of just over 100 spaces, leaving 350 available for shoppers to access all the businesses at this part of the town.

As work on the store continues, Harry Corry, Peacocks and Poundstretcher remain closed and have posted notices apologising for the inconvenience.

Both Poundstretcher and Harry Corry’s — which were closed when the structural damage was discovered at the Asda store — subsequently reopened. However, they both closed shortly before Christmas to allow further structural examinations to be carried out, with the news confirmed via their social media accounts.

Last month, a planning report submitted as part of the bid to secure approval for Asda’s temporary store revealed structural engineers discovered 31 defects in the wake of last month’s devastating flood.

Defects uncovered by engineers during a forensic examination of the building — which Asda leases — included an issue with the foundation floor which included what is believed to be a large sink hole.

Large cracks also appeared in walls with damage reported to interior ceilings and floors.

As a result of the catastrophic damage, the retail giant initially revealed that what is one of its flagship stores would remain closed for the “foreseeable future” following the flooding.

Belfast planning consultancy TSA — which prepared a report accompanying the approval bid for the temporary building on behalf of Asda — says it is vital that the retailer’s proposed new store lies outside the town’s floodplain, from which the retail park has effectively been excluded.

The report confirms that following a detailed assessment of the damage, the existing store needs to be permanently closed and replaced with a new building, while Asda prepares for what is being described as a “long term solution”.

It continues: “In order to retain Asda’s presence within Downpatrick, proposals are advanced for a new permanent store.”

The report says the Downpatrick store was subject to “substantial damage” as a result of the November flood, resulting in “structural issues deemed a hazard to human health and safety”.

Asda said the temporary store will allow its 156 staff, who have been redeployed to various other stores, including Portadown, Dundonald and Newtownards, to return to Downpatrick.

The planning report said the closure of the Downpatrick store has resulted in a “significant loss in business and trade for the town centre, with shoppers likely heading elsewhere for a larger weekly shop”.

It says the popularity of the store, combined with the temporary closure, demonstrates the demand and need which now exists within the area, with the proposals for the temporary store allowing the retailer to continue to trade in Downpatrick.

The report says this will ensure the local community continues to have access to the retailer.

Asda said that while the severe November flood caused substantial damage to its store, it remains committed to continuing to serve local people.

The retailer confirmed it is working with the landlord to deliver what it has described as a “longer-term solution”.

It was revealed last week that businesses impacted by November’s devastating town centre flood could be eligible for up to £100,000 in financial support.

The news was part of a double boost for the town after the Department for Communities confirmed it is making £180,000 available for Downpatrick to help finance what is being described as an intensive marketing campaign in the wake of the catastrophic flood.

Shortly before Christmas, local politicians met with a senior civil servant at the Department for Economy to discuss ongoing support for the town’s beleaguered business owners. 

The new funding package is designed to be flexible to meet needs of businesses excluded from initial financial support who are now eligible to apply in the next phase of funding.