Northern Ireland Environment Minister Edwin Poots has said the way is now clear for a number of major retail developments in Craigavon, Co Armagh to move forward.

The Minister was speaking following the withdrawal by Irwin Glenbank Ltd of a number of judicial reviews taken against the Craigavon Town Centre Boundaries Plan and against two planning approvals for retail schemes in the area.

The Minister said: "The withdrawal of these court cases is good news for Craigavon. It will provide greater confidence for the development industry in the area and has lifted the uncertainty for some major schemes – particularly the planning approval granted for a new Tesco store and the planned expansion at Rushmere Shopping Centre."

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He added: "I hope these developments will now proceed quickly giving a much needed boost to local employment and the economy of the Craigavon, Portadown and Lurgan areas."

Minister Poots said the decision to withdraw the cases was a victory for "common sense". He said that now the uncertainty surrounding the local plan for Craigavon, Portadown and Lurgan town centres had been lifted, a sound framework for future commercial development and investment decisions in the area could be created.

See: 'Flawed' Planning Process Criticised

See: Largest Tesco For Portadown

(NS/BMcC)