Supermarket giant Lidl has said that they remain committed to opening a new £8million store at Derry's Crescent Link despite the Department for Infrastructure hitting pause on the proposals.
The plans which were previously given the green light by Derry City and Strabane District Council were halted last October after former Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon 'called in' the application for review.
While council officers recommended to members at the time that the application but refused, councillors voted in favour of the scheme in January 2021.
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The decision to place an Article 17 order by DfI ultimately takes the major application out of the council's hands, with council members having no right of appeal.
It's understood that the determination was made due to the plans being against the site's area plan, with the council required to notify the Department by law.
The supermarket chain was granted permission to build on the undeveloped land to the east of the Kilfennan Link Roundabout and north east of Crescent Link.
Numerous objections were also received by the council, with locals citing concerns over the increase of traffic that such a development would bring to the site.
A spokesperson from the Department told MyDerry that the plans remain "under consideration" and that it was "not possible to specify an exact timescale for a decision".
They added: "When the planning assessment is completed, Departmental officials will submit a report and recommendation to the Minister for consideration.
"At this stage, it is not possible to specify an exact timescale for a decision.”
Meanwhile, Lidl Northern Ireland said that they hoped to follow through with their plans, creating 35 jobs in the process.
A spokesperson said: "Lidl Northern Ireland remain committed to realising a new state-of-the-art store in Crescent Link in Derry/Londonderry, with hopes to bring a £8 million investment and 35 new jobs to the local community as part of the development.
"Planning was approved for the new proposed store in Crescent Link in January 2021. In September 2021, the Department of Infrastructure called the application in for review and we are currently awaiting feedback.
"We would like to thank the Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Planning Committee and the local community for their support so far on our plans, and we look forward to bringing our market-leading quality and value to a new community in the region in due course."
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