Lidl Set to Open Unique Pub in Dundonald Supermarket After High Court Approval

Lidl is set to open a pub in one of its UK stores. This marks a unique development in the supermarket industry. The High Court recently approved Lidl’s plans to introduce the pub at its Dundonald location in County Down, near Belfast. This will be the first step for the supermarket to convert a part of its retail space into a pub with both bar service and off-sales. The plan is to make the Dundonald area “lively” while benefiting the community.

It was in 2020 when Lidl first got its planning permission for a taproom in the Dundonald store, with the plan being to partner the company with a next-door bar owner who would, in turn, take control of the pub’s landlord’s license. Currently, the licensing law in Northern Ireland states that new liquor licenses cannot be issued unless an old one is sacrificed. The plan was for the company to invest £410,000 in the new pub and off-sales area, part of the initiative.

The proposal was still opposed by Philip Russell Ltd, a company running several off-licenses across Northern Ireland. According to Russell Ltd, Lidl had not proven that there were enough licensed premises in the area, which is a requirement under the Licencing (Northern Ireland) Order 1996. Furthermore, Russell Ltd claimed that Lidl’s application was an attempt to bypass the legislation by essentially making another application for an off-licence.

Lidl in Northern Ireland, UK
Dom0803 (en-Wikipedia), CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/, via Wikimedia Commons

The court however ruled on the side of Lidl in dismissing the objections that Russell Ltd had raised. Justice Colton, who presided over the case, ruled that Lidl had proven the area lacked sufficient licensed venues. A gap in the area exists since it earlier had two pubs and no longer does. The judge was of the view that the fact that the application was novel in itself should not be a reason to reject it. He noted that the location proposed was excellent because it is close to shopping and transportation facilities, and that the area had a growing adult population.

Justice Colton accepted Lidl’s commitment to running a genuine public house and off-licence in his final judgment. He acknowledged that the pub may not be big enough to accommodate the demand for licensed premises in the area since it does not offer food; however, this did not detract from the fact that there was a need for such a venue. The judge commented on Lidl’s high finance investment as the “considerable amount” made in it and stated that at the same time, by launching the pub despite knowing its probable profitability may decide the fate of the offlicence, it established the trust level of Lidl in the potential success of this venture.

This ruling will see Lidl make a bold move in the retail industry by blending a supermarket and a pub experience, a concept that has the potential to change the landscape of both grocery shopping and social spaces in the UK.

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