Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council's planning department has given a £7 million roadside service facility the go-ahead at Sprucefield.

The service station will be situated on the former car showroom site at the junction of the A1/M1 link road and the M1 motorway. The 1.25 hectare site is located at 225 Hillsborough Road adjacent to the main Sprucefield Centre and opposite Sprucefield Retail Park.

It will feature a new petrol and electric car filling station with 18 high-speed refuelling stations, a 5,000 sq ft modern retail and convenience store, a state-of-the-art coffee drive-thru, a bright and modern forecourt, a drive-thru restaurant, a drive-thru automated car wash and associated self-service car wash and vacuum bays, as well as car and HGV parking.

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The planning application was submitted on behalf of LCC Group by Holywood-based Gravis Planning, one of Northern Ireland's leading planning consultancies. Headquartered in Cookstown, LCC Group (TA GO) is Northern Irelands largest oil importer and green energy provider.

Alderman Martin Gregg, chair of the council's planning committee, said: "This is an exciting application and a good news story for motorists and shoppers visiting and travelling through Sprucefield. The completed development will create jobs for the area, upgraded facilities and added convenience for people travelling through Sprucefield to Newry or Belfast and beyond. It will meet a local need and provide improved customer choice and greater diversity in the retail offer at one of the busiest shopping locations in NI which draws over 8 million visitors per year."

Stuart Draffin on behalf of LCC Group confirmed development is expected to begin September 2024.