TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE

During this month's meeting with the council's Leisure and Development Committee, the developers, who submitted a reduced-size application for the store earlier this year, re-stated their commitment to Tesco's Castlewellan Road store, saying the supermarket giant will remain at the site for at least 10 years from the day another Tesco opens beside the Outlet.

Local traders, who have opposed the plans since the first application for a Tesco Extra store was made, have long argued Banbridge town centre will lose custom, and the current Tesco store will eventually close, if the Bridgewater proposals go ahead.

Meanwhile vice-chairman of the council Jim McElroy has written to Environment Minister Edwin Poots amid growing support for plans, which were rejected by the Minister in December last year after a public enquiry.

In his letter Mr McElroy reminded Mr Poots that the developers, who last week announced plans to build an Olympic-sized ice rink at Bridgewater, will be required by law to build a multi-storey car park in the town centre should they receive permission to build the Tesco superstore.

He urged the Minister to see that the new application is dealt with within six months.

"I understand that as Article 31 applications they should be resolved within six months," Mr McElroy said in his letter.

"However the developers feel progress in discussing the application is slow and if so will not meet the six month target."

The DUP councillor said the success of Bridgewater hangs on the success of the planning application.

"Bridgewater Park is a flagship development on the euroroute and if it fails will have a negative impact on the Northern Ireland economic recovery," he said.

"I hope you will urge your officials to move these applications to a successful conclusion."