A major UK supermarket with over 970 stores across the country is set to open a new branch after plans were approved by councillors. Iceland Food Warehouse will open at the Lesley Bloomfield Shopping Centre and Retail Park on South Circular Road in Bangor, County Down.
Investment and Job Creation
The development is expected to bring a £1.5 million investment to the area. It will initially create 15 construction jobs, then generate 40 to 50 permanent positions once the store opens. The permanent jobs are estimated to contribute £4.2 million in Gross Value Added to the local economy each year.
Council Approval
The plans were approved this week by Ards and North Down Borough Council's Planning Committee. The new store will occupy a long-vacant unit at the retail park, around a mile south of Bangor city centre. Councillors approved an application for retail use at the site, along with retrospective permission for a storage extension that was completed in August 2025.
Store Details
Planning documents show the store will occupy a 10,000-square-foot unit. According to the council report, Iceland Food Warehouse required a single-floor store with a dedicated servicing area, extensive car parking, and good visibility from major transport routes.
Impact on Local Economy
The report said: "The proposal will help ensure the competitive supply of additional discount convenience goods for Bangor and will ensure variety in the number and format of retailers in the town. It will add to the choice of food retailers in Bangor and broaden the retail offer to enhance value and increase competition in the local market."
Council officers said independent assessments found there were no suitable alternative sites in Bangor. The report added: "Findings of review, which have been subsequently reviewed by the council's own retail consultant, have concluded that there are no sequentially preferable sites to primary retail core, in the town centre or edge of centre locations of any of the towns, that are possible alternative sites."
Concerns for City Centre
Officers also considered the potential impact on Bangor city centre. They said: "It is considered that on balance the proposal is unlikely to result in direct store closures, whether considered solus or cumulatively." The report continued: "Whilst there is a concern for Bangor city centre, it is considered that the impacts would not reach a level of being 'significantly adverse'."
Local Councillor's Support
At the planning meeting, DUP councillor Alistair Cathcart backed the application. He said: "Members may remember I opposed the Lidl application that was there recently. I do also have concerns with approvals that were given for B and M, and also Poundstretcher, because I think they could have been in the town centre. Iceland had a facility in the Flagship, closed it, and was out for some time."
Explaining why he supported the proposal, he added: "I think the nature of Iceland's application here, the nature of the frozen products, is more suited for cars. In terms of the expansion, it is not a new retail unit, and it is only for the storage element. Given all those factors, I see no reason to refuse, and I think having a well-recognised brand locally will increase the shopper's choice in Bangor, and create a good level of employment."
