Backing for Asda

Last week council officials called a meeting of MLAs at which they discussed a strategy to bring Asda to the area.

It’s understood Lurgan came out on top as the location which the MLAs gave their backing to.

Last week’s meeting had been prompted by Sinn Fein’s John O’Dowd who urged council to pursue Asda’s interest in establishing a base here.

At the beginning of December the supermarket giant expressed an interest in setting up in the borough.

Asda’s property team earmarked Lurgan and Portadown as priority locations for a new supermarket.

It’s well known that Asda don’t do things by half measures and should they come to town they will be aiming to be as big if not bigger than its nearest rivals - in Lurgan’s case, Tesco.

It has been speculated Castle Lane or High Street are the frontrunning locations should the store set up in Lurgan.

At the time of the initial interest Councillor John O’Dowd commented: “As a team, all elected representatives and the council as a corporate body should make an approach to Asda and offer our support to their proposal for a store in Lurgan and as one voice we should deal with the Executive to ensure that Planning and Road Service move speedily to ratify a planning proposal for a site in Lurgan.”