Glimmer of hope for B&Q at Sprucefield

The local store had been set to close, along with branches in Craigavon and on the Boucher Road in Belfast.

However, following high level meetings with Mr Donaldson, B&Q agreed to keep the Sprucefield store open until the last quarter of the year, with the aim of assessing any increase in footfall following the closure of the other two stores.

“I had a meeting with senior B&Q representatives last week, following lengthy correspondence with the company about Sprucefield,” explained Mr Donaldson.

“I made the case that Sprucefield is very strategically placed to benefit from business that will arise from the decision to close stores at the Boucher Road and in Craigavon,

“This means that a sizable proportion of the population in Northern Ireland will not be served by a local store if the Sprucefield branch were to close.

“Given its position on the main A1/M1 corridor, it makes sense that the store should be retained and I am delighted that B&Q have agreed to keep Sprucefield open for the remainder of this year with a view to assessing the increase in trade resulting from the closure of the other stores.

“I am confident that with the sterling efforts the staff are making and the support of the shopping public, that the B&Q store can be retained at Sprucefield.

“I would make an appeal to local people to support the store, and I will be doing so myself.

“Hopefully we can see a positive outcome towards the end of this year.”

Kingfisher, the company that owns B&Q, is undergoing a major restructuring and as a result it is closing sixty stores across the UK.