Sprucefield
Sprucefield is a major out-of-town retail park on the outskirts of
Lisburn and ten miles from
Belfast,
Northern Ireland. The centre is the only purpose built out of town centre in Northern Ireland and serves a large catchment area. The area has two distinct developments, the
Sprucefield Centre and
Sprucefield Park, separated by the
A1 road.
Sprucefield is also the site of a large
BBC transmitter. The site is located adjacent to the M1 motorway linking Belfast with the north and west of the province and also the A1, the main road for Belfast to Dublin traffic.
Sprucefield Centre includes shops such as
Marks and Spencer,
Homebase,
MFI,
JJB Sports and
PC World.
An expansion of Marks and Spencers has been reported for many years. An outline planning application was submitted in 1995, followed by a public inquiry in 1999. The Planning Service recommended the proposal be accepted. If built the extension calls for the demolition and resiting of the transmitter station.
Sprucefield Park was opened in 2003, with
Sainsbury's and
B&Q as anchor tenants. A smaller
Currys store also occupies the site. Stannifer, a property developer with a long term partnership with Sainsbury's, was responsible for construction and took ownership of the site.
Westfield bought Sprucefield Park in 2004. Also in 2004
John Lewis announced plans for a large store on the site, this was approved by the Northern Ireland Environment Minister
Jeff Rooker. Westfield
see the John Lewis development as a way to further increase the site's catchment.
Sprucefield Park (like the Sprucefield Centre) has faced major objections at almost every stage. For example Sainsbury's announced its move into Northern Ireland in 1995 and opened its first stores in 1997, however it would be eight years before its Sprucefield store was permitted. The John Lewis store was opposed by Lisburn retailers and the Belfast Chamber of Commerce.
The planning permission for the centre also included a multiplex cinema and a 150-bed hotel, however these have yet to be built.
In December 2004 the B&Q store was extensively damaged by an incendiary device. The store was closed for approximately six months. In January 2005 another firebomb was discovered in the centre's Sainsbury's store, however this was successfully defused. Both incidents (and others, e.g. [
1] [
2]) were blamed on dissident
republicans.
*
BBC News:
Green light for John Lewis store*
BBC News:
Shopping centre plans are opposed*
BBC News:
Incendiary defused in shop*Stannifer:
Work starts at £84 million Sprucfield Scheme*
Department of the Environment (NI): Minister backs new retail proposals at Sprucefield
