Poundstretcher won't be open in Derry in time for Christmas

By Alan Healy

THE opening of a new Poundstretcher store in the city has been delayed until the New Year due to legal issues, the Derry News can reveal.

In October, the discount chain store confirmed that it is to open a new outlet in Derry at the site of a former DIY store in the Buncrana Road.

B&Q closed its Derry branch at the site in January 2016, with the loss of 60 jobs.

In June of this year, The Range opened its first outlet in the city at part of the building which was formerly occupied by B&Q, creating 80 new jobs.

Poundstretcher will now take up residence in the remaining section of the building, which is located at Faustina Retail Park on the Buncrana Road.

It will be one of two new stores being opened by Poundstretcher in the city, with the other outlet located at the building in Bishop Street which previously housed a Poundstretcher store, but which was destroyed by a fire in July 2015.

A spokesperson for Poundstretcher told the Derry News at the time that while work continue on re-building the Bishop Street, the ‘priority’ for the company was having a new store opened in Derry time for Christmas.

However, Poundstretcher has now revealed that the opening date has now been pushed back until after the festive season.

A spokesperson for the company said that the new store in Derry ‘will be on site in January’.

"There are still a couple of legal issues to resolve,” the spokesperson added.

He continued that work had also not started at the Bishop Street site due to issues with the contractor.

The spokesperson added that a planning application would not be required for the new store at the Buncrana Road as it would be operating within existing planning consent.