Plans for a new £4 million supermarket, filling station and farm shop for Tandragee have taken a major step forward with a formal application now lodged.
And the proposals – if approved – will create more than 60 additional jobs when complete, with an estimated 80 more during construction.
Armagh I revealed in January plans for a pre-consultation event, given the scale of the proposed development, which has been earmarked for the site of Woods SuperValu on the Portadown Road.
The plans are being brought forward by Philip Woods and the new premises would take between a year and 18 months to complete once work gets underway, bringing the total workforce to well in excess of 100.
The intention is to “redevelop” the existing petrol station and forecourt. The proposals would see a new farm shop opening there, together with community shop – basically a supermarket – and car parking.
Views raised during the public consultation were taken on board and used to help shape the formation of a full planning application.
Essentially, the concept would see the construction of a new supermarket in a field to the north of the existing site. It would be parallel with – and fronting on to – the Portadown Road.
The new shop would extend to close to 14,000 sq ft – excluding lobby – with around 8,500 sq ft net floorspace for retail sales. It would be “complemented by the in-store offers of the Post Office, off-licence and National Lottery”, according to a supporting statement.
This would allow the range of products to almost double.
The statement continues: “The number of lines in the store will increase from 5,000 lines to 9,000 lines in food. The ancillary non-food lines will increase from 1,000 to 1,500.
“The shop will sell the standard petrol filling station offer with sweets and confectionary, newspapers and magazines and cigarette and tobacco. It will provide solid fuel for home heating and will also provide for snacks, lunches and top-up shopping for customers to pick up occasional items as part of their visit.
“The unit will also provide a deli/hot food counter, with the deli and wash-up area and the customer seating area. The new building will provide customer male, female and disabled toilets. It will provide a large rear store and back of house offices to provide for the management of the business.
“The proposal will provide an increase in car parking spaces with disabled spaces in front of the former store and at the new store. It will provide large vehicle/towing caravan spaces and motorcycle parking spaces.
“The main supermarket compound is located to the north of the new store and has space for two HGVs. The proposal also includes two service bays and retains the existing car wash.
“In addition, EV charging spaces are proposed. Pedestrian routes are shown through the car park linking the new store to the car parking areas, the former store and the four smaller units.
“The design allows works to the development to commence whilst the current services continue to trade.
“As the only petrol filling station on the A27 between Portadown and Poyntzpass, it is important that this main trunk road has adequate roadside services to serve the needs of drivers.”
A Tandragee-bound view of the proposed new filling station and supermarket. Credit: Google
When the new supermarket is built, the current outlet would be reconfigured to create a farm shop – with floorspace in excess of 6,000 sq ft – which would stock farm supplies as opposed to food.
The supporting statement reveals: “It will be used to sell farm hardware goods to be used in the running and maintenance of farms including fencing equipment, electrical tools, hand tools, containers, buckets, brushes and mops, cleaning equipment, sprays, oils and lubricants, protective wear, lighting, batteries, farming tools, pest control, piping and hoses.
“The edge of town location for this business is ideal as it is easy for farmers to access the site from the countryside to the north without having to bring larger farm vehicles through the centre of the town.”
The Woods family has already invested £2.8 million in its Tandragee operations over the past 25 years.
The statement – urging planners to give the go-ahead to the proposals – adds: “Woods SuperValu are a locally-owned business and will seek to ensure the contractors will be local to the area.
“In a rural area this level of jobs growth is a significant economic boost to the local community through increased salaries.
“Of course, local suppliers will also benefit as local produce will be stocked and sold in the shop and there will be a rates increase providing increased revenue for the local council.
“The potential for increased linked trips to the town centre is a positive impact also.
“The economic benefits of the proposal are a material consideration in the assessment of the application.”
The plans will now be advertised and a recommendation and decision returned in due course.
