Peacocks is planning on replacing Poundland in Downpatrick town centre. A proposal that would see the clothing retailer – previously based in the flood-hit Ballydugan Retail Park – relocate to units 9 and 10 of Market Street’s Grove Shopping Centre was submitted to council planners by Anglo Global Property Limited last Tuesday (2 December).
The application proposes the ‘installation of new entrance doors in a new location to form a recessed entrance, complete with a new section of shopfront’. Supporting documentation states that there are no proposed changes to existing parking arrangements at the location and that ‘the proposed development will not in itself affect the number of vehicles visiting the site’. It also says that ‘the estimated number of employees when the property trades as Peacocks is estimated as being 10’ and that ‘it is unknown, and neither can it be estimated, how many visitors, customers etc. are likely to visit the store daily’.
In November 2023, Ballydugan Retail Park was severely impacted by flooding in Downpatrick, which also affected the town centre, including Market Street. Peacocks shut its doors in the aftermath of this, as did the neighbouring Asda superstore. However, in January 2024, Asda reopened in a temporary store in the retail park’s car park and subsequently submitted plans for a £22m replacement superstore.
Documentation submitted to planners highlighted that ‘severe flooding in November 2023 caused substantial damage to the Asda store and adjacent retail units’, though it was also noted that ‘the drive-through unit and non-food units to the west of the Asda were unaffected’. ‘Following a detailed assessment of the damage to the affected units, structural issues were identified that were deemed to be a hazard to health and safety,’ it read. ‘A decision was therefore made to permanently close the existing superstore and retail units, with a view to replace them with new buildings.’ Planning permission was granted by the council’s Planning Committee in November 2024.
Earlier this month, Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins said that her department was in “the advanced stages” of developing a business case for a “major” flood alleviation scheme in Downpatrick town centre. Meanwhile, Poundland confirmed on Friday that, as part of an ongoing restructuring programme, 14 of its UK stores will be closing by February. Nineteen of its other stores – including in Portadown and Ballymena – have already been scheduled to shut in December and January.
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