Lidl Ireland hosted a virtual community session on Thursday, 7 October to brief local residents, community leaders and stakeholders on Lidl’s plans for a new store in Athenry, which will be delivered working in partnership with the Comer Group, who are planning a new development for the town.
The event was opened by Minister of State with Responsibility for Disabilities in the Department of Health and Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Anne Rabbitte.
The attendees were shown numerous computer generated images of the development showcasing the build.
Lidl’s property team of Dervla Nash and James Purcell, along with a team of consultants, answered questions on topics such as flooding, environmental impact, accessibility and the restoration of the nearby landmark building of Athenry House.
Big Support
Martin Morrissey, representing the Athenry Traders Group, also addressed the event and commented, “We are excited by the addition of Lidl to Athenry and are throwing our support behind this development.
"As traders we believe a development such as this is key to keeping people shopping in Athenry and for bringing new footfall to the town.
"The presence of Lidl will only add to Athenry’s ability to attract new traders to our town. As a group we welcome the connectivity to Cross Street that is contained in the plan and believe it offers a great opportunity."
Public Reaction
Speaking about the event, Lidl’s regional property executive Dervla Nash said, “We were blown away by the public reaction to our plans for Athenry when we announced this community briefing. We received hundreds of emails of support from local residents, schools, traders and community groups in the area which we are extremely grateful for.
"The briefing gave us the opportunity to outline the exciting plans we have for Athenry. We’ve heard clearly from the local community that a Lidl store is desired and needed with many telling us that they drive out of their way to go to our existing stores in Tuam and Oranmore.
"We will be lodging our plans in the coming weeks and are hopeful for a positive decision from the local authority so that we can focus on delivering the store that the people of Athenry deserve."
© 2021 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Donna Ahern. For more A-Brands news, click here. Click sign up to subscribe to Checkout.
