Three months after building began, Mullingar's new Lidl store is ready to open its doors on 11 December. This will be the German brand's second branch in the Westmeath town. Planning permission for a single-storey mono-pitch roofed discounter foodstore with ancillary off-licence sales, and a 79-vehicle car park was granted in May of this year.
The company had originally applied to the Westmeath County Council for planning permission last year, but was turned down. The council felt that the development would take business from the town centre.
However, a An Bord Pleanála inspector ruled that, subject to compliance with certain stated conditions, the supermarket would not seriously undermine other local businesses. The supermarket is on the site previously occupied by The Horizon ballroom, which in its heyday, hosted artists as big as Johnny Cash and Thin Lizzy.
© 2014 - Checkout Magazine by Jenny Whelan.
