New £8m Lidl store expected to create 50 'much-needed' jobs in Ballymena if given the go-ahead
A planning application has been lodged with Mid and East Antrim Borough Council for the development of a new £8m supermarket in Ballymena.
The application for construction of a food store has been made by an agent on behalf of Lidl Northern Ireland. Full planning permission is sought for a supermarket with a gross internal floor area of 2,560 square metres and sales area of 1,743square metres.
Lidl has a branch in the town already at Castle Demesne Link. The proposed new outlet will be located at a vacant 2.3 hectare site between Broughshane Road, Ecos Roundabout and St Patrick’s Link Road, formerly Kernohans Lane, approximately 750 metres from Ballymena town centre, if permission is given the go-ahead.
A planning, design and access statement submitted with the application said: “The proposed food store would be operated by Lidl, a well-established discount retailer with over 13,000 stores across Europe and the USA, including 44 in Northern Ireland. It has 1,500 direct employees in Northern Ireland and helps to sustain over 7,000 jobs across the region.”
The planned development is expected to provide 50 new jobs locally. It was also reported the German discount retailer contributed £360m to the local economy in 2023. In 2024/25, it procured more than half a billion pounds (£557 million) from local suppliers and business partners across Northern Ireland.
The statement continued: “A Lidl store on the application site would extend consumer choice and provide the large surrounding population with locally accessible, low-priced high-quality food.”
It explained the proposed internal layout of the store follows a “typical Lidl format with a large rectangular sales area that will have wide aisles to ensure good accessibility for all, in keeping with Lidl’s customer first approach”. Staff welfare facilities such as a canteen, locker room and showers are also planned.
It is proposed the opening hours would be 08.00-22.00 Monday-Saturday and 13.00-18.00 on Sunday. Vehicular and pedestrian access is proposed from St Patrick’s Link Rd and a pedestrian only access, from Broughshane Road.
The proposed car park has 151 spaces including eight disabled spaces, six parent and child spaces and two EV charging spaces. Six cycle parking spaces will also be provided.
The statement indicated that toucan controlled pedestrian/cycle crossings are proposed at St Patrick’s Link Rd and Broughshane Road. It is also proposed to widen Frys Road to Broughshane Road slip lane to provide dual lanes and additional queuing space to help drivers to exit Deramore Park. The store will typically have one delivery per day.
It was noted during the pre-application community consultation process, residents of Deramore Park identified have difficulty exiting onto Frys Road “due to congestion around the Frys Road to Broughshane Road slip lane. In order to address this, the proposal involves widening the slip lane to provide dual lanes and additional queuing space. This will help drivers to exit Deramore Park more easily”.
It is estimated the proposed new outlet would be accessible to approximately 3,400 people within walking distance and development of the site would bring “substantial community benefits that decisively outweigh the loss of the open space”.
The statement said: “A discount food store on the application site would improve shopping provision, choice and competition for the local population. It would bring much-needed new employment to Ballymena.”
Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporter