A £20m expansion of Sprucefield Retail Park is with Lisburn and Castlereagh Council planners that, if approved, will see new retail units, a hotel and restaurants close to the existing Sainsbury’s superstore.
The 87 room, four storey hotel will be accompanied by a retail ’parade’, a restaurant and what is described in the December 22 planning application as a restaurant retail pod.
It is anticipated that when completed the new phase of Sprucefield development will create 20 plus jobs in the retail and hospitality sector.
The plans, which followed a public consultation, were submitted by architects and planners, Ostick and Williams also include car parking to cater for all the proposed development areas.
The retail parade will provide an area of approximately 8,362 sq m, with the smaller pod site providing 250 sq m. The larger restaurant will be 324 sq m.
The owners of the site are NewRiver, a real estate investment trust who purchased it in 2019 for £40m and say this new investment, once given planning approval, will develop Sprucefield to its full potential.
As part of the planning submission accompanying the application a retail statement said:
“The existing park is not adequately providing for the needs of its customers or fulfilling its role.
“The owner wants to ensure that the retail park remains a vibrant shopping location in the future providing for the needs of the communities it serves.”
They claim the completed works would be an improvement on the existing number of shops and facilities.
Addressing the application it stated: “There is a need for more hotel accommodation in this area to meet the objectives of the tourism strategy for Northern Ireland. The provision of the hotel at Sprucefield Park will help meet this need.”
“There are no available sites within Lisburn city centre that could accommodate the proposed hotel.”
The full location of the site, as submitted is “Lands at Sprucefield Park, 100m southwest of Sprucefield Roundabout, to the south and west of Sainsbury’s Petrol Station, 120m north east and 20m south east of Sainsbury’s Supermarket, Sprucefield Park, Lisburn.”
