Close to 50 new jobs will be created with plans for a new flagship Matalan store at Banbridge.
Described as a ‘major’ application, formal plans have this week been lodged for the development at the Bridgewater Retail Park.
The new store, which would see the amalgamation of two already constructed units, would represent an investment by the retailer to the tune of £1.9 million. It would sit between the Food Warehouse and the already-approved plans by B&M Bargains for a new outlet complete with garden centre.
Matalan is now seeking approval for the amalgamation of Units 8 & 9 and a change of use to allow for “unrestricted sale and display of retail goods, provision of mezzanine floor, elevation changes with associated car parking and site works as necessary”.
This would include a reduction in the Game of Thrones park and ride.
The new store, if approved, would be seen as a flagship outlet with floorspace across two levels of close to 45,000 sq ft.
A supporting statement reveals the retailer’s desire to open its first shop along the A1 corridor, given its strategic location, in the hope of attracting cross-border shoppers.
It says: “Matalan is a leading UK and international fashion and homeware retailer that aims to make style and quality affordable every day. Matalan has a large store network of over 250 UK and international stores and integrated e-commerce platform.
“This is a major opportunity for Banbridge to secure one of the UK’s largest value fashion retailers.
“Matalan’s Northern Ireland store portfolio is mainly located in retail parks, with five of its seven shops in such locations. These are Boucher Road, Belfast, Castlebawn Retail Park, Newtownards, Longwood Retail Park, Newtownabbey, Central Way, Craigavon and Lisnagelvin Retail Park, Derry.
“A more recent application in Springhill Shopping Centre, Bangor for Matalan was approved in June 2026.
“This will be the sixth out of town shop of Matalan’s in Northern Ireland.
“The only town centre store of Matalan’s is in Castlecourt Shopping Centre, Belfast.
“As part of Matalan’s growth, they are seeking a new store located on the A1 corridor between Lisburn and the border at Newry, and Bridgewater Retail Park is the optimum location and format for the business.
“It has modern large floor plate units, with high roofs allowing installation of mezzanine floors, has immediate surface level car parking, and secure service yard, and forms part of an established high order retail parade with strong and growing footfall levels.
“Matalan’s sales efficiency is low for a comparison retailer – global data estimates its 2025 average sales density is £1404/ sqm. This means that to open a store, the overheads of the site needs to be extremely competitive. The space and layout requirements of Matalan often makes high street locations unsuitable because they lack the significant space and car parking
requirements.
“The value goods that Matalan sell are ideally located at Bridgewater Park, as these products will compete and provide a complementary offer to customers that are visiting the Boulevard and Bridgewater Park for discount and value comparison shopping.”
There is currently no Matalan store in the Republic of Ireland and this proposal beside the Boulevard, therefore, makes it an “extremely attractive location to capture cross border shoppers at Banbridge”.
Given the scale of the development, it will – according to the supporting statement -be a “significant employer”.
It adds: “Matalan have advised that 47 staff would be employed in this store. These will be a mixture of full time and part time roles.
“In addition, there will be 35 jobs supported in the construction sector through the installation of the mezzanine floor.
“This application has full board approval from Matalan and represents an investment in Banbridge of £1.9 million.
“The proposal will generate both retail and construction wages, it will remove a vacancy and improve the attraction of Banbridge and will widen competition and choice in retailing in the catchment and wider A1 corridor.
“The minor changes to the Game of Thrones car park, which will entail re-lining parking, is minor works. Game of Thrones originally had 352 car parking spaces approved at Bridgewater Park. They have recently been approved 150 parking spaces at the Studio Tour site and, consequently, reducing the park and ride spaces by 150 will still leave the Game of Thrones with a combined 352 parking spaces across the two locations.”
The application is now with Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council and is due to be advertised shortly.
