A statement from LIDL said: “LIDL NI can confirm they have purchased land owned by the parish In Newcastle in recent days.
“LIDL has been at the current premises on Railway Street in Newcastle since 2001, however, the site is no longer suitable for our growing business needs and we wish to lodge plans to build a new concept store.
“This modern state-of-the-art building will accommodate our growing customer numbers and offer a superior shopping experience for the people who live in and around Newcastle, if permission is granted.
“Now that we have purchased the land we hope to work closely with the local authority to develop plans that can incorporate facilities on the site which would benefit the local community.”
Speaking after the announcement, there was local political reaction as representatives voiced their disappointment about the sale of the St Mary’s Shanslieve Drive school site from the Parish of Maghera to Lidl.
South Down SDLP MLA Séan Rogers made a short statement expressing his disappointment at the final collapse of the leisure centre development opportunity and said following confirmation that the site of the former St Mary’s Girls school in Newcastle had been sold to Lidl. He said: “I am deeply disappointed for the wider Newcastle community who want, need and deserve a fully functioning leisure / tourism facility.”
Sinn Féin Mourne’s Councillor Willie Clarke also expressed his reaction to the sale of the site to LIDL and said: “
“The public confirmation of the sale will come as disappointing news to the Newcastle community who have had to endure a long and protracted process since 2012. It doesn’t come as a surprise as it has been widely accepted that Lidl were the preferred bidder. When a planning application is submitted, there will be an opportunity for the community to express their views through the planning process.
“Sinn Fein warned changing direction with regard to the site of the new leisure centre would seriously compromise its delivery.If we had proceeded, with the Donard Park site, we would now be constructing a state-of-the-art leisure centre. Instead, we are back to where we started. Reneging on the Donard Park site was a ‘fatal misjudgement’, that has left us in the situation we now find ourselves in.”
“We are where we are! We need to be innovative and develop positive initiatives to progress the building of our new centre. It’s now vital all parties work collectively to deliver, this vision. The public are sick of delays, and we need to agree a site for the new leisure centre, as quickly as possible.”
Cllr Clarke added, “Newry, Mourne and Down District Council are currently developing a masterplan for tourism infrastructure in Newcastle, and it is vital that an agreed site is included in this masterplan, which will provide us with a unique opportunity to develop a stand-out tourism package, which has the potential to position the region as the premier activity tourism destination in Ireland.
“The masterplan has to have a Gateway leisure centre at its heart, with our beaches, Castle Park, Islands Park and forests all complementing a chair lift proposal which will be a major turning point for the local tourism industry.”
