It’s not big enough! Lineside supermarket developers seek to ‘increase store size’

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The developers of a sprawling grocery superstore being constructed in the centre of Coalisland have applied for fresh planning permission – to make it even bigger.

Plans to build a huge Newell Stores supermarket, with a floorspace of almost 3,000m sq, were rubber-stamped by councillors in June.

But developers have since applied for further planning permission in a bid to increase the amount of space available on the ground floor of the new supermarket.

Documents submitted to the planning authority propose a “relocation” of the building’s offices and staff facilities to the first floor “to increase ground floor store size”.

The proposals seek to alter the location of facilities within the building, but will not increase its surface area.

It is not clear from the documents, which were submitted to the Department of the Environment (DOE) on September 15, whether the proposed amendments will increase customer floor space or alter other areas, such as ground-floor storage.

The controversial development was approved after months of protracted negotiations between Rossdale Developments and the DOE over the form of the proposals, which include constructing a new roundabout.

It had also faced severe criticism from residents, planning consultants and even rival supermarket Springisland, with a total of 22 letters of objection being sent to the DOE.

The new grocery superstore is expected to open for business in spring 2013.

>Planning application for proposed changes to approved works

>Supermarket planning application

>Have a look at all our reports on the Lineside supermarket development

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