Tesco Lisburn expansion plan set to get green light

The residents say they are devastated by the news, but Tesco says it will create around 80 new jobs and generate an extra 500,000 in rates every year.

A special meeting of Lisburn Council's planning committee was held on Tuesday night which allowed all sides to have a final say, but afterwards the chairman of the committee, Cllr Ronnie Crawford, said he believed they had now reached 'the final rung of the planning ladder'.

"The meeting was a good opportunity for the residents to reiterate the problems they are suffering and give the Planners the opportunity to apply conditions to alleviate some of those problems," Mr Crawford said. "I appreciate the promise Tesco have made to ensure whatever conditions are imposed will be complied with.

"This has been a long process but this is now the last rung of the ladder" he added.

The application involves a 50% expansion to the store in Bentrim Road. People living in the area have consistently opposed it because they say it would bring increased noise and traffic and also have a detrimental effect on the peaceful enjoyment of their homes.

The Benson Street Residents' Group, which has 20 members and the support of around 1000 people in the bordering residential area, outlined their case again on Tuesday night and made a last ditch plea to Tesco to withdraw their plans in light of the hurt it will cause local people.

Speaking at the meeting a spokesperson for the Residents' Group said: "The fact that we are here to request 'conditions' for this proposed expansion hurts us deeply. Our motto has been and still is: 'Tesco is too big already'."

The group spokesperson concluded: "We hope for the sake of good neighbourly relations that this plea to Tesco will not fall on deaf ears."

However a spokesperson for Tesco reiterated the company's commitment to investing in the Lisburn store. She said: "We are committed to investing in Lisburn and this extension will provide a welcome boost to the local economy with the creation of around 80 new jobs and bring the number of people employed by Tesco in Lisburn to around 600.

"We understand the concerns of the residents and following on-going consultation with them and local political representatives, have made extensive changes to our original planning application of five years ago. For example removing a proposed decked car park at the front of the store and reviewing the proposed size.

"Over many years our application has gone through the legitimate planning process and we understand that, as is usual for an application of this size and nature, it will be subject of a number of tough conditions which we will be required to undertake.

"In addition to extra retail employment, jobs will also be created within the construction sector, good news for an industry which has been particularly hard-hit in recent times. Our extension will also generate an added income expenditure totalling more than 6.5 million, which could be spent in the local economy, as well as significant rates of more than 1/2 million for the Council," she concluded.

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