Gloves come off in John Lewis fight

Lagan Valley MP Jeffrey Donaldson has hit out at Environment Minister Mark H Durkan following the publication of the Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan (BMAP), which appears to once and for all close the door on the John Lewis development at Sprucefield.
Jeffrey Donaldson MPJeffrey Donaldson MP
Jeffrey Donaldson MP

However, Mr Donaldson said he was “prepared to take the fight” to Mr Durkan and vowed that the issue was far from over.

Lisburn City Council has also hit out at the Environment Minister for publishing the plan, which will restrict retail at Sprucefield to the sale of ‘bulky goods’ and has said it is considering legal action over the matter.

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“Council officers are urgently seeking legal advice,” said Chairman of the Council’s Planning Committee, Councillor Uel Mackin. “I find the Minister’s rationale, and his decision on retail policy for Sprucefield, to be completely unacceptable.”

Lagan Valley MLAs have also been critical of the Minister’s decision, which was announced to the Assembly at Stormont on Monday.

“Sprucefield has gone from being designated a regional shopping centre to having some sort of complementary status,” said Trevor Lunn MLA.

Basil McCrea MLA said the Minister would “go down in history as the man who stopped John Lewis once and for all.”