A South Belfast community has called on the IFA to withdraw objections to plans for a Lidl on Boucher Road, saying that it would be a vital asset for the area.
A planning application for a new Lidl supermarket close to Windsor Park and the Olympia Leisure Centre was delayed due to objections submitted by the IFA and Tesco, causing upset in the nearby Village community.
Local residents say they have been waiting years for a supermarket like Lidl to come to the area, as the shops available to them are either too expensive or far away for them to use easily. They said this has a particular impact on elderly residents who are unable to drive and struggle to travel elsewhere to shop.
Read more: Windsor Park Lidl decision delayed amid disagreement between IFA and residents
They have said that with the rising cost of living a budget supermarket like Lidl would save money for countless families living in the Village, and have wondered why "every other part of Belfast has one except South Belfast ".
Residents also said that they regularly put up with distrubtion associatated with match days and events at Windsor Park without complaint and that the IFA should not be looking to stop something that would be a huge benefit to their community.
A number of residents, alongside South Belfast DUP MLA Edwin Poots and councillor Tracy Kelly, spoke to Belfast Live about the benefits the planning application would have on their area.
Anne said: "The Village and the Donegal Road have been forgotten about for years and now when there are plans to bring something to the area that would help all of us, there is an attempt to stop or delay it.
"At the moment people are having to go to shops that are either very expensive or in West Belfast where it can be difficult for those who don't drive to access.
"People are struggling to afford to do their weekly shops due to the cost of living and a Lidl here would make a huge difference to the people here."
Village resident Tracy echoed these concerns saying: "We have been waiting years for this and it is frustrating to think that we could have had two Christmases with a Lidl we could have used, which would have saved people so much money."
Edwin Poots and councillor Kelly said they have been working with Belfast City Council to address any concerns regarding the application and said they would be speaking in favour of the proposals when they come to planning committee.
Mr Poots said: "Lidl and the council have put in a lot of work to address any issues with regards to this application and I cannot see anything of substance that would cause this to be rejected.
"There is a clear need for a supermarket like this in South Belfast and we will be doing all that we can to see that this is approved."
Councillor Kelly said: "It is disappointing that the IFA have lodged an objection to this application considering the benefits that it would bring to the community here, along with the jobs boost that it would provide.
"We are confident that any concerns will be addressed because there has been a huge outcry from local residents following the delay.
"People here deserve to have an affordable supermarket they are able to easily access, especially given the pressures that families are currently under with the cost of living crisis."
The IFA has lodged an objection to the application for the Lidl on Boucher Road, saying that it would “create a conflict of uses on major event days”.
A planning report states there were “concerns that the proposal will result in a conflict between patrons attending major events at the national football stadium and customers accessing the proposed development”. It added the IFA said “the resulting effect will expose the patrons accessing the stadium to unacceptable risks to their personal safety”.
The report adds: “(There were) concerns that the proposed development will create a conflict during major events at the NFS, thereby limiting the ability of PSNI and IFA to properly implement the necessary crowd management measures, risking the safety of pedestrians and obstructing emergency access to the NFS.
“IFA considers that the requirements for the safety certificate could not be met where there is a conflict between vehicles and pedestrians using the Boucher Road access and the Boulevard, placing in jeopardy the ability to use this as an access point to the site.”
The report states the IFA argues that if Windsor Park is unable to host major events, “this would not only jeopardise the ability of the IFA to meet the terms of the Department for Communities funding, but would also undermine the rationale for the stadium, which was to create a venue capable of showcasing Northern Ireland football on an international stage”.
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