Permission granted for NI Ikea store

Ikea is on its way to Northern Ireland after the British government announced planning permission was granted for a store outside…

Ikea is on its way to Northern Ireland after the British government announced planning permission was granted for a store outside Belfast.

Some 500 jobs will be created through the opening of the store at the Holywood Exchange retail outlet on the shore of Belfast Lough in Co Down, where B&Q and Sainsbury are already located.

There has been a delay in finalising the planning process as Ikea amended earlier plans, and it is to press ahead with a store bigger than originally intended - increased by 3,200 square metres to 29,000 square metres.

Construction is due to begin in January, and the store is due to open next November, said the company.

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It will be the first Ikea on the island of Ireland, although the company is also planning a slightly smaller outlet at Ballymun in Dublin. It has yet to receive planning consent for that project.