Lidl to knock and rebuild store
Lidl plans to demolish its current store in Cavan Town in January and reopen, within a few months, with an expanded and upgraded retail offering.
Details were presented to Cavan District Court before the Christmas break, when Judge Patricia Cronin approved a declaratory order for the construction of a new supermarket with ancillary off-licence sales at the Creighan site on the Ballinagh Road.
The existing single-story discount foodstore has a net retail area of approximately 1,165 sqm. The new store, incorporating adjoining land, will increase to 2,560 sqm gross floor space.
The proposal also includes reconfiguring the site layout, providing 120 car parking spaces, hard and soft landscaping, retaining the existing vehicular access point, and maintaining an HGV delivery bay.
Additional provisions include new signage, a covered trolley bay, refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment, an ESB sub-station, external lighting, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, roof-mounted solar panels, cycle parking, drainage, and other ancillary site works.
A copy of the original 2001 licence and the new planning permission was submitted to the court. Counsel for Lidl, Harry Walsh BL, told the court that “what they're building is effectively a new store.”
He added that construction is expected to take approximately seven to eight months.
Demolition of the current store will take place after the Christmas rush. Shane Santry, an architect with Dublin-based SSA, noted that the replacement store will be “slightly larger” and ultimately “improve” the overall shopping experience.
From an environmental perspective, the new, enlarged glazed frontage will allow more natural light, reducing reliance on artificial lighting.
Brian Smyth, Regional Property Director for Lidl, also gave evidence, noting that the Cavan store was among the first seven Lidl stores opened in Ireland. Over the years, Lidl has invested millions in modernising its stores nationwide and expanding into new areas.
Notice of Lidl’s construction plans was published in November, and the HSE was notified. There were no objections from the Gardaí. Judge Cronin, satisfied that all proofs were in order, granted the application.
A Lidl spokesperson confirmed to The Anglo-Celt that works on the existing Cavan store site will begin in January, with the upgraded store scheduled to reopen in Summer 2026.
O'Reilly Precast, based in Kingscourt, is a major supplier of precast concrete for new Lidl stores across Ireland, providing structural frames, beams, and paving for these projects.
The Lidl store revamp is one of several major retail investments earmarked for the Cavan, with Tesco set to break ground on their new superstore in Cavan Town, also in January, and Aldi still holding onto plans for new supermarket in Cootehill.
A spokesperson confirmed to the Celt that the retailer remains “committed to constructing and opening a new store in Cootehill in the near future and will announce the date in due course".
Aldi also opened a new €14M store in Monaghan Town last October.