Lidl has submitted planning documents for a new supermarket at the junction of St Patrick’s Link Road and Broughshane Road in Ballymena. The proposed store covers 4.5 acres and totals 2,560 square metres gross internal floor area, with 1,743 square metres net sales area. It would become one of the largest Lidl outlets in Northern Ireland.

The current Ballymena branch overtrades by 35 to 40% above capacity. This causes congested aisles, frequent restocking, limited shelf space and full parking. The site lacks space for expansion due to surrounding development, ruling out refurbishment.

No suitable town centre plots exist for a store of this scale. Town centre sites lack room for heavy goods vehicle loading, truck turning and 150 to 200 parking spaces near the entrance. The new location offers access to the A26 Broughshane Road and M2 motorway.

Relocation would cut over 10,000 heavy goods vehicle miles from Ballymena town centre roads each year. Plans include a right-turn lane on St Patrick’s Link Road, relocated store entrance, and Toucan crossings on Broughshane Road and St Patrick’s Link Road linking to the cycling network.

Sustainability measures cover electric vehicle charging points, roof solar panels for 25% of electricity, full LED lighting, heat recovery from refrigeration, and zero waste to landfill. Landscaping adds 72 trees and native planting.

The site adjoins the St Patrick’s Barracks regeneration, which includes 135 social homes, i4c Innovation Campus and a leisure centre. The store would provide retail services nearby. Investment totals £4.8 million to £5 million, creating 40 permanent jobs and 100 to 150 construction jobs.

The project fits Lidl’s £500 million Northern Ireland expansion to over 60 stores by 2032 from 44 now.