Planning permission has been granted for a £50 million extension to the Ards Shopping Centre in Newtownards.

It is believed the major development will create 500 construction jobs and 1000 new jobs post construction.

The overall development will reinvigorate and breathe new life into one of the oldest shopping centres in Northern Ireland providing certainty for its future. The major retail development should result not only in significant job creation in the town but also provide a much needed boost for the local construction industry.

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The two storey extension will provide an additional 22,263 square metres of gross floorspace (11,800sqm net retail floorspace) including the introduction of a new multi-storey car park within the centre. The project will also involve the partial demolition and considerable internal re-configuration of the existing centre.

Environment Minister Alex Attwood said: "In taking this decision I am bringing to a conclusion a long and difficult process which has lasted nearly eight years. As with all the major retail applications currently under assessment by my Department, both in Ards and in other areas in the North, I intend to clear the backlog and make decisions swiftly, but only after giving careful consideration to the individual merits of each case."

(CD/GK)