Green light for new Lidl store

LIDL IRELAND has welcomed the joint decision by Carlow County Council and Laois County Council to grant planning permission for the development of a brand-new, state-of-the-art Lidl supermarket at Killeshin Road, Graiguecullen, Carlow.

The development will see an investment in excess of €8 million in the local area alongside the creation of 30 new jobs in the locality. Up to a further 100 jobs will also be supported indirectly throughout planning and development and during an average six-month construction phase.

The new Graiguecullen store will be the retailer’s second store in Carlow town and fourth in the county and forms part of Lidl Ireland’s recently announced €600 million investment in developing 35 new stores across Ireland and a new Regional Distribution Centre at Little Island, Cork.

Serving the local Carlow community since 2006, Lidl currently has stores in Carlow Town, Tullow and Bagenalstown employing more than 85 people across its workforce.

The retailer’s Bagenalstown store opened in 2021 and was Ireland’s first A1 energy rated retail store, running entirely on renewable energy and representing excellence in innovative and sustainable construction and providing a template for all newly constructed Lidl stores over the last number of years.

Lidl’s new Graiguecullen store will be built with sustainability at its core in line with its award-winning ‘Concept’ store design, prioritising energy efficiency through roof solar PV panels, energy efficient heat pumps and LED lighting, reducing carbon emissions and supporting Lidl’s ambition to achieving net-zero by 2050.

The new Lidl store will provide customers with an unrivalled shopping experience, with self-service checkouts, customer EV charging spaces, two Deposit Return Scheme machines as well as in-store bakery and off licence.

As part of the retailer’s overarching sustainability strategy, Lidl stores across Carlow are actively engaged in initiatives to support local communities. Last year, more than 7,000 meals were donated from its three Carlow stores to 11 charities across the county through Lidl’s partnership with FoodCloud.

A major supporter of the local agri-food industry, last year Lidl procured over €5 million worth of goods and services from nine suppliers and business partners across Carlow, including a deal with local family run bakery Seery’s Heatherfield, who have been supplying Lidl stores with the highest quality cakes and puddings since 2020.

Welcoming the planning decision, Lidl’s Regional Managing Director, Niall Murray, said: “As Ireland’s leading discount retailer with ever growing customer numbers, we warmly welcome the joint decision of Carlow County Council and Laois County Council to grant planning permission for a fourth store in Carlow.

“With cost-of-living pressures continuing to impact, shoppers are increasingly looking for best value and we’re seeing more customers choosing to ‘Go Full Lidl’. The new store at Graiguecullen will offer local shoppers more choice and best value on their shop whilst also helping drive economic growth and contributing to economic development plans for this burgeoning urban area.

“We would like to wholeheartedly thank members of the local community for their positive and constructive engagement so far during this process and we would like to reassure them again of our ongoing commitment to delivering an outstanding new shopping experience for the area.”