Public inquiry announced for Lisburn department store plans

Plans for a major John Lewis department store were today referred to a public inquiry – five years after they were first proposed.

The owners of the Sprucefield retail centre on the outskirts of Lisburn, Co Antrim, have been trying to get approval for a John Lewis and associated retail units since 2004 but have been blocked by repeated legal actions by opponents.

A re-drafted planning application with the associated units reduced to 19 was put in almost six months ago.

If eventually given the go-ahead the £150m (€169m) project would create about 2,000 jobs – 500 during construction and 700 in the John Lewis and the remainder in the other retail and commercial units.

Stormont Environment Minister Sammy Wilson announced today he was referring it to a public inquiry – what the developers urged back in August in a bid to deal with any outstanding objections when they re-submitted the planning application.

During a visit to the Lisburn City Council offices Mr Wilson said: “This proposal raises a number of issues which remain unresolved relating to retail and the scale of the potential impact on existing town and city centres.

“I have considered the options available to me and I am satisfied that the best way forward is through the public inquiry procedure.”

The minister added: “In making this decision I am conscious of the importance of new inward investment and the potential for employment associated with the proposal, particularly in the current economic climate.

“I will, therefore, be asking the Planning Appeals Commission to give this matter a high priority.”

Referring to the application for the current proposals having been made in August, Mr Wilson said it was another example of his department’s efforts to process large scale investment proposals to a recommendation within six months.

The minister believes a public inquiry is the fastest way to get a final decision which cannot be challenged. His argument is that if he made a decision now either way those who objected would go back to the courts and it would be another two years before the issue was resolved.

There have been fears John Lewis may get fed up with the lengthening delays and switch their attentions to Dublin.

While they have remained publicly committed to the Sprucefield project, last November they signed an agreement for the development of a £40m (€45m) store in Dublin’s O’Connell Street – their first outside the UK.

Traders in Belfast, Lisburn city centre, Banbridge, Co Down and Craigavon, Co Armagh have objected to the development, expressing fears that the entire project – rather than just the department store – would damage their businesses.

John Lewis welcomed the inquiry. In a statement, the company said: “We welcome today’s announcement by Environment Minister, Sammy Wilson MP MLA, to refer the Sprucefield development application to Public Inquiry. The developer, Westfield, believes that a Public Inquiry will be the most transparent and equitable route for all parties in determining the application and John Lewis supports them in this regard.

“Throughout what has been a long and protracted planning process, John Lewis has remained fully committed to opening a full-line department store at Sprucefield, delivering a significant retail and employment boost to NI as a whole."