A new Outlet shop is due to be built in Magheralin.
Bedeck Ltd, which specialises in bedding, bathrooms and other home furnishings, decor and accessories, already operates a unit at its factory at Lurgan Road.
But now the family-0wned company intends to demolish it and build a new Outlet unit – to house a comprehensive range – which would be more than four times the size of the existing store.
Bedeck trades extensively across the UK and Ireland and right around the world, but it is at 187 Lurgan Road, Magheralin, that it has its main base.
An application for the development was submitted to Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council for consideration last year.
And now the company has given the go-ahead to the exciting new retail development after councillors agreed with officials’ recommendations to approve.
The current store – a prefab structure – offers a floorspace of 1,400 sq ft. The new factory Outlet would stretch to over 6,300 sq ft.
The plan is to demolish the existing retail unit and start again from scratch, building this new much larger single-storey development in its place. The existing car park would be extended and rearranged to provide more car parking spaces for customers and visitors too.
Planning officials received no objections to the development, which sits on a site with the main factory immediately to the north east and housing development to the south west.
They found it “complies with the Local Area Plan and all relevant planning policies”.
The company has been in business now for over 70 years and came from humble beginnings to become a major player in the field of fabrics and soft furnishings.
Its success and origins can be traced back to 1951 and Alexander Irwin, who began to embellish handkerchiefs.
According to the company website: “By stitching ornament into the ordinary, he turned a skill into a service that thousands of people around the world now rely upon to make their homes unique.
“He gave his customers time and choice, and it’s our ethos to do the same.
“So, whether you’re shopping online or instore, at our outlet, concession or prime flagship stores, you can be sure that Bedeck always puts our customers first.”
The application now paves the way for what many will see as a welcome investment and boost to the local economy.
