Ballincollig retail park set for €16m redevelopment
A major new €16m development in Ballincollig has been given the green light today which will transform and modernise the existing West City Retail Park on the outskirts of the town.
Cork City Council have approved the plan which will see an investment of €16m in the area, creating up to 100 jobs across the retail park with hundreds more jobs being created during the construction phase.
As part of the redevelopment, Lidl has worked closely with leading Danish home retailer JYSK and Australian retail pharmacy Chemist Warehouse, in a commercial agreement that would see both retailers move into the park and open for trade alongside the new Lidl store.
The development also has provisions for a coffee shop and a generous sized retail unit, which Lidl say is suited to a local business looking for an electrical showroom or a sports/leisure store.
Speaking about the project, Conor Nagle, Regional Director for Munster with Lidl Ireland projected a strong commitment by the retailer to rejuvenate the area, creating job opportunities and providing an ongoing assurance to the surrounding communities.
“We are delighted that Cork City Council have approved our plans and granted us planning permission for this exciting development, and we are keen to commence work early next year. This plan would see the current retail park, which is vastly underutilised, transformed into a modern and vibrant retail hub for the residents of Ballincollig and the surrounding areas.
“Lidl has invested heavily in Cork projects in recent years with new stores and redevelopments in Churchfield, Wilton, Ballyvolane, Mitchelstown, Kanturk, Macroom and Youghal to name just a few. A Lidl store does not just bring better value shopping to an area – it means job creation throughout the construction phase in addition to a variety of job opportunities in our stores. It means more funding for local ladies Gaelic football clubs; local charities being supported through our food redistribution programme with FoodCloud and continuing investment in youth mental health services in Cork with our charity partner Jigsaw.”
Kanturk’s new supermarket
25 new permanent jobs will be created in Kanturk, after Cork County Council granted Aldi planning permission to build a new store. Expected to open in late 2023, the new store will see an investment of €7m.
The development on Percival Street, near the town centre of Kanturk, will also create 80 jobs during the construction phase.
The development will also include a two-storey café/restaurant unit facing onto Percival Street with a high quality public realm area. The new access road will link Percival Street to the new Kanturk link road and will include a dedicated cycle lane, which will improve access to the town centre and the new national school.