Lidl to create 100 new jobs in £31m investment in north west

Supermarket chain Lidl has announced a £31m investment in the north west over the next five years, including plans for three new stores and more than 100 retail jobs.

Lidl, which currently operates 44 stores across Northern Ireland, said two of the planned outlets would be in the Waterside and Creggan areas of Londonderry, with a third proposed for Castlederg in County Tyrone.

Regional managing director Gordon Cruikshanks said it reaffirmed the company's long-term commitment to the Derry City and Strabane district.

The retailer, which already has stores in both places, said hundreds more jobs would be supported during the construction phase.

Mr Cruikshanks said the company was currently reviewing possible sites in Derry's Creggan area and "looking at sites" in Castlederg.

"We are not going to be lodging any planning immediately as we are still in negotiations and reviewing various sites – that could be a number of months away," he told BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today programme.

"We are hoping to progress both the Creggan site and Castlederg site in the near future. We would like that to be in the next 12 months."

He said the planning process for a new store at Crescent Link in Derry's Waterside, had been going on for six years.

"Back in 2021, it was approved by Derry City and Strabane Council but it was then called in by DfI [Department for Infrastructure] in 2021 so we're currently engaging with all the stakeholders there to progress that as fast as we can but it can be quite frustrating with the timelines around planning," he said.

Foyle DUP MLA Gary Middleton said he shared Lidl's frustration over the proposed Crescent Link store.

He said a "lengthy planning process" in Northern Ireland is the "single biggest turn-off" for potential investors.

"We really have to unlock the delay in the planning system, it is not serving anybody at this time," Middleton told the BBC's 20 Minutes with Mark Patterson programme.

SDLP MLA Sinéad McLaughlin said it reinforced the need to "unlock the delays" in our planning system.

"When companies are ready to invest at this scale, the process must support, not hinder, progress," she said.

"I will be working to ensure these projects move through planning at pace so families and workers can feel the benefits sooner."

Mr Cruikshanks said Lidl's existing store on the Buncrana Road in Derry is "up there with the busiest stores that we have across our network, both in Europe and globally".

Lidl, which marked 25 years in Northern Ireland in 2024, said last year it contributed £360m to the local economy and supports almost 7,000 jobs.