Supermarket giant ASDA has unveiled investment plans for north Belfast worth £20m, which will create 150 new jobs in the area.

The chain has said it will relocate its current Shore Road store to a new mixed-use retail and leisure development site on the Loughshore Playing Fields, where ASDA will be anchor tenant.

The wider development, brought forward by Belfast City Council and locally-owned Bayshore Development, is still subject to planning permission.

However the projected scheme is set to include modern leisure facilities for public use including playing fields, a multi-purpose building for community use as well as children’s play areas, located adjacent to Shore Crescent and Mount Vernon.

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It is expected that the existing ASDA site will be used for future social and private housing.

ASDA's Property Communications Manager Philip Bartram said: "These new plans represent a significant investment which will bring with them an additional 150 jobs and a new, improved and larger store to the people of North Belfast."

"We are very excited about the plans being proposed by Bayshore Developments and Belfast City Council and believe they can play a significant part in regenerating this part of the Shore Road."

"The whole development offers much improved leisure facilities for all ages, a mix of private and social housing, a greatly improved retail offer and of course local jobs and investment," he added

Bayshore Developments’ Director Robert Morgan welcomed ADSA as an anchor tenant: "We are pleased to have reached agreement to bring ASDA into the retail element of the scheme."

"They believe this overall development will regenerate Shore Road economically but also in terms of lifestyle with affordable housing, leisure and community provision presently lacking in this area," said Mr Morgan.

(PR)