BREAKING: Lidl planning new €10m store on Athlone's Dublin Road

Lidl Ireland has confirmed it will be lodging a planning application this week for a €10 million new store development on the Dublin Road in Athlone.

The supermarket giant is planning a "state-of-the-art" store which would replace its existing branch on the Dublin Road.

The new outlet is expected to result in ten new jobs on top of the 35 Lidl staff already employed in Athlone, and would see 80 jobs being created during the construction stage.

A spokesperson for the company told the Westmeath Independent that the branch would be one of Lidl's "new concept" stores and would feature "sleek design, wide aisles and multiple sustainability features".

Brian Smyth, Regional Property Executive for Lidl Ireland said: "We've had a long-standing desire to offer a more enhanced shopping experience for our customers in the vibrant and thriving community in Athlone, and as such we are pleased to lodge our application for a brand new store on the Dublin Road this week."

Last week, An Bord Pleanála refused planning permission for a second Lidl store in Athlone, at the site of O'Meara's Garage, Baylough.

The company this week said it was "reviewing" the planning authority's decision and it remained hopeful that a Baylough store would be developed "in due course".

* For more, see this week's Westmeath Independent