4,868 people sign petition backing Lidl’s plans for new store in Derry
Almost 5,000 people have signed a petition supporting Lidl’s proposals for a new store on the Crescent Link in Derry’s Waterside.
The German discount retailer said the public response to the petition underlined the strength of local support for its planned £10 million investment, which received ministerial approval in June following a planning process spanning more than six years.
The petition, being managed for Lidl by research firm Customer Perceptions, was launched after Tesco's decision to challenge the planning permission.
A total of 4,868 signatures had been added to the petition by Wednesday morning.
Gordon Cruikshanks, Regional Managing Director, Lidl Northern Ireland, said: "Almost 5,000 signatures in just one week is an incredible public response, and people of Derry~Londonderry have made clear that they want this approved Lidl store at Crescent Link to be delivered.
"This is not a speculative proposal. Independent research shows that 93% of local respondents believe the city should have more than one Lidl store, while 95% say they would shop at a Lidl store closer to home. The demand is clear, significant and independently evidenced."
Last week Lidl called for public support for its proposed new supermarket at Crescent Link after rival retailer Tesco requested that planning approval for the store be quashed.
Tesco has pointed out that it does not object to the majority of planning applications submitted by its competitors and that any objections are based solely on material planning considerations.
Mr. Cruickshanks said the planned £10m investment will create 30 permanent local jobs and support 200 construction jobs.
"Lidl remains fully committed to Crescent Link. We will continue to follow the proper process and do all we can to deliver the choice, value and local investment that this community has so clearly backed,” he declared.
Derry, the supermarket chain, noted is one of Lidl's strongest performing locations in the North, with its existing Buncrana Road/Springtown Road store recording the highest footfall across the retailer's regional network
The retailer points out that it has committed to investing £31 million in the Derry City and Strabane District Council area over the next five years.