Belfast Telegraph 1/12/08
An ambitious multi-million pound plan to create 1,000 new jobs and to lure the John Lewis Partnership away from setting up at Sprucefield was unveiled today.
The owners of Bow Street Mall in Lisburn City Centre defied fears over the recession and announced they had lodged a planning application for a 260,000 sq ft department store and an additional 30 retail units.
While the shopping centre owners said they wanted John Lewis, they also said they were in discussion with other potential department stores, both from Britain and further afield.
The £180m extension would create 500 construction jobs and over 1,000 new jobs on completion, according to the people behind the scheme.
John Lewis has been fighting for years to get permission for a huge store at Sprucefield outside Lisburn, but has been knocked back by a combination of Lisburn traders who say it - and the associated stores which would go to Sprucefield with it - would decimate the centre of the City.
The traders have been joined in their opposition by Belfast retailers and Belfast City Council, who argue that such a major store should be in the capital city rather than 10 miles down the motorway.
A fresh planning application for sprucefield was submitted a few months ago and is likely to be subject to a public inquiry.
But the joint owner of Bow Street Mall offered what he said was a fantastic new opportunity.
Michael Herbert said: "We've invested considerable time and resources in the preparation of this application to ensure that everything on offer at the out-of-town Sprucefield site can be accommodated in Lisburn City Centre.
"These plans will create 1,000 new jobs on completion and see another £60m invested in Lisburn City Centre."
He pointed out that more than two years ago the John Lewis Partnership said it would look to the Republic if it didn't get planning permission at Sprucefield.
"It has now announced its intention to open in Dublin and yet it says it still wants to come to Sprucefield.
"We believe that if the flexibility and willingness exists to open at least two stores on the island then, with support from everybody in Lisburn, the John Lewis Partnership can come the extra few miles into our City Centre.
Lisburn needs to have confidence in itself and our politicians need to become persuaders for the City Centre," he added.
The City Centre proposal could bring proper regenerative benefits to Lisburn, said Mr Herbert, and still give the department store owner broadly the same shopping catchment and opportunity as exists at Sprucefield.
However, he faces an uphill task to persuade the retail giant to change its plans. Today its spokesman said Sprucefield was the only viable option.
"We remain fully committed to the current planning application for Sprucefield. It follows years of research into the most suitable location to attract shoppers from the whole of Northern Ireland while also drawing customers from the south.
"The ideal location of Sprucefield and the surrounding road network were deciding factors in the choice," he said.
Mr Herbert added: "While our target is the John Lewis Partnership because it has said it wants to come to Northern Ireland, we will also be targeting other major retailers at home and abroad and, indeed we have already spoken directly to one other UK retailer, as well as making contact with the John Lewis Partnership."
Along with the proposed department store, other key elements of the planning application include an additional 540 car parking spaces and 30 new retail units all integrated into the existing Bow Street Mall.
Also proposed is a major new access point for the shopping centre and environmentally friendly transport initiatives are included to reduce traffic pressures currently experienced in the vicinity of the City Centre.
"This is a genuine plan to transform Lisburn City Centre into a prime retail destination by securing a major department store." Mr Herbert added.
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