Asda is moving ahead with Monkstown store plan

The company gave an update on its plans after a Roads Service official suggested during a recent meeting with Newtownabbey councillors that the scheme may have been shelved.

Details of the proposed £25million development at the Monkstown Road/Doagh Road junction were first revealed in the Newtownabbey Times in March this year.

The proposed new superstore, which could create up to 350 full and part-time jobs, would form part of a wider mixed-use development on the 14-acre site beside the former Nortel factory, including a call centre, industrial units and housing.

The retail giant confirmed this week that it is still working on a planning application for the new 40,000 sq/ft store, petrol filling station and 460-space car park at the site.

“We are continuing to develop our plans for a new store in Newtownabbey and we will be submitting a planning application to the Planning Service in the New Year,” a spokesman for the company said.

“We have received a very positive response to our plans from the local community, who are keen to see more supermarket choice in the area.

“We are hopeful that the Planning Service will be able to process our application - as a major development - by the end of next year.”