Ards In Line For Further Retailing Boost

Ards town is to get a new retailing boost with the construction industry enjoying a fillip along the way.

A proposal for a multi-million pound mixed-use retail scheme in Newtownards, Co Down was submitted to the Planning Service in late December 2010.

If approved, the planned development will encompass some 6.5 acres on land bounded by High Street, Court Street, South Street and Old Cross Street and will see the majority of the retail units in the area demolished and rebuilt.

Belfast-based RPP Architects lodged the application for outline planning permission on the site on December 23, 2010 for promoters, Clandeboye Developments.

The development will consist of retail units on the existing street level, above which will be two levels of residential apartments and office accommodation, together with a basement car park.

It is projected to create 350-400 construction jobs if approved offering a substantial New Year boost for the beleaguered sector.

The breakdown for the development will comprise 21,832 square metres of retail space; 5,202 square metres of leisure and office accommodation; 136 apartments; a basement car park with 4,722 spaces; a proposed food store; improvement to access and egress to town centre car parking and improvements to street frontages on Court Street and Old Cross Street.

This comes on top of last year's news that hundreds of construction jobs are expected to be created following planning approval for a new Tesco superstore.

The store is to be situated in Newtownards, on the site of the old Ards Abattoir off the Portaferry Road.

The project, which includes a petrol station and parking spaces, will result in the creation of 200 retail jobs.

The new Tesco store will be almost double the size of the one currently at the Ards Shopping Centre and is expected to create many additional full and part-time positions after the closure of the store in the Ards Shopping Centre.

The new Tesco superstore is the first of three stages of the contentious £250m Castlebawn project.

This mixed-use development originally secured planning approval but is now the subject of a public inquiry following objections from the wider Ards business community, but the Planning Service confirmed permission had indeed been granted in the autumn for the Tesco superstore and also revealed the Department of the Environment had removed the supermarket's application from the contentious Castlebawn project because of the inquiry.

Executive Minister Edwin Poots announced his initial support for that project and said it would help rejuvenate the area of the former Ards Abattoir, bringing not only a modern food and convenience goods outlet, but also much needed economic investment.

"This will provide construction jobs along with the £18m investment in the immediate future, and secure some 200 permanent retail jobs.

"This is another fine example what can be gained from engaging in pre-application discussions where key issues can be identified at an early stage allowing the application to pass through the statutory planning process quickly," the DUP Stormont Environment Minister said at the time.

See: Tesco Superstore To Get Underway

(BMcC/GK)