New standalone Home Bargains store with garden centre proposed for Carrickfergus

A new 32,000 sq ft standalone store with a garden centre and car parking will be constructed if proposals are given the go-ahead by the local authority.

Neighbouring retailers at Belfast Road would include Lidl and Marks and Spencer.

Currently, a branch of Home Bargains is located at the DeCourcy Centre in Carrick town centre. The DeCourcy Centre is currently on the market for £1.6m.

The application has been lodged by the discount retail chain’s Liverpool-based parent company TJ Morris which owns more than 500 outlets of Home Bargains in the United Kingdom employing more than 22,000 staff. TJ Morris describes itself as “the largest independent grocer in the UK”.

The company says that it “intends to continue its rapid growth” and has ambitious expansion plans to grow to 1,000 stores almost doubling its workforce.

Recently, the chain unveiled plans for a new branch in Ballymena.  There are currently 20 Home Bargains stores in Northern Ireland.

Home Bargains was unavailable for comment.

Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporter