New Lidl store in Ballymahon gets go-ahead

Lidl Ireland has been granted planning permission for the construction of a new store in Ballymahon, which it says will deliver up to 25 full-time jobs.

The discount foodstore, with ancillary off-licence sales, is planned for a site at Main Street/Church View backlands in Ballymahon, including the rear of the former St Matthew's National School, Nally Tyres/Circle K, and adjoining lands.

Planning permission was granted for the development by Longford County Council yesterday (Wednesday).

In its planning application, Lidl Ireland said that, in addition to the 25 full-time jobs the store would bring, it would also result in "further jobs created or supported indirectly and other construction stage employment in the order of €3 million in construction wages alone."

It also said that the site for the store was currently considered “wasteland with large amounts of concrete and other building debris,” and that its development would provide a "growing" Ballymahon area with "an enhanced and competitive retail offer, alongside the existing SuperValu anchor in the town, serving the community with an appropriate level of food shopping facilities, currently absent".

The new store is due to span 2,291 square metres in gross floor space, with a net retail sales area of 1,489 square metres.

The planning application was lodged in mid-May, with a decision originally due in July before Longford County Council requested further information on the project,

The council's further information request sought details of how the existing bus stop and disabled parking bay on Church View would be accommodated, and requested four, instead of two, electric vehicle charging spaces.

The local authority also sought amendments to certain parking spaces, which it considered "difficult to access", as well as a quality assessment of proposed parent-and-child parking spaces.

Further amendments to the proposed storm drainage system and a footpath along the access road were also required by the council.

Updates to the plans were supplied by Lidl Ireland in October, and approval for the development was granted on Wednesday, December 4, subject to 20 conditions.