Work has started on a major mixed-use development – including a new supermarket and petrol filling station – which the owner says could bring around 100 much-needed jobs to Dungannon.
The proposals, on the Coalisland Road, just below the Oaks Centre, will also include a new creche and three workshops.
Plans had previously been approved for the site of the former Oakdale Meats abattoir back in 2018.
But a fresh application has gone to Mid-Ulster District Council this week to increase the size of the previously approved supermarket, which will also include a deli and seated area, together with amendments to the facade.
The applicant is Philip Woods, of Woods Supermarket, based at Portadown Road, Richhill. The Co Armagh-based businessman already operates retail stores at Portadown Road in Tandragee, as well as Fruitfield at Richhill and Dobbin Road, between Richhill and Portadown.
Mr Woods told Armagh I the new proposals will bring greater choice and convenience.
And, if all goes according to plan, the supermarket and filling station could actually be up and running before the end of the year.
In all, the new neighbourhood store would boast over 6,100 sq ft of retail floorspace. The plans also include office provision, storage, staff facilities and toilets.
Outside, there would be over 80 parking spaces, as well as disabled spaces and EV charging points.
The filling station element would be covered by canopy with further parking.
Mr Woods explained: “It’s a slight amendment to what’s already in place. It was approved in 2018 for a petrol forecourt, creche and I believe five workshop units, along with the retail shop. Really what I’m trying to do is merge a couple of those workshop units into retail.
“At the minute the retail element of that site is very, very small and for it to make sense for anybody, the retail element needs to be a wee bit bigger. So the application I have in it to make the retail element slightly larger. The buildings will be no different, but I’m just trying to increase the retail size of it slightly to make it more viable to develop.”
The address for the new development is at 1 Coalisland Road, Dungannon and sits directly opposite Dungannon Enterprise Centre.
And the three workshops proposed by Mr Woods will offer “more or less” what is already available in terms of accommodation at the Enterprise Centre.
He said: “Because historically that site was Oakdale Meats, there was already industrial use on it, so really the industrial usage is just a continuation of what was there.”
Mr Woods believes the facilities planned will be of great benefit to the local community and passing motorists.
“The way retail has come on and these sorts of convenience stores developed over the years, accelerated by Covid, you need a wee bit more square footage to make the thing stack up and to be able to put in the full facilities for the customer,” he explained.
“That site has been lying vacant now for well over 10 years, it’s been lying for a decade. From you leave Coalisland five miles away until you hit the roundabout at South Tyrone Hospital, there is no petrol station or convenience store. From a convenience retail, hot food deli perspective, there’s nothing from Coalisland until that roundabout.”
In terms of filling that gap, the businessman hopes that the planning process will progress quickly.
Work has started on site, with the ground – located behind the Mid-Ulster District Council yard at Dunlea Vale – being largely cleared.
And Mr Woods hopes that the application to amend the retail plans could be “turned around” within months.
Indeed, if that is the case, he predicts: “Realistically we’d like to be on site in the summer and trying to have it open for the back end of this year.”
In terms of employment, the new centre as a whole will create scores of jobs, both during and after construction, when up and running.
“Across the whole site, you’d be looking somewhere in the region of 100 jobs,” added Mr Woods.
“And there’ll be jobs during construction. We’d be putting it out to a few local companies to tender for.
“Once it’s up and running, I would say, ourselves, we would probably employ somewhere in or around 70, and the creche facilities and the other units I’m sure they’ll employ another 30, giving 100 jobs on site.”
