Planning Permission Granted For JKC BMW Showroom In Former Coleraine Lidl

Planning permission has been granted for the former Lidl building at Riverside Park North in Coleraine to be converted into a car showroom.

The application, submitted by JKC BMW, sought approval for a change of use of the vacant retail premises to allow the sale and display of motor vehicles, alongside internal and external alterations to the building and surrounding site.

The planning application was received by Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council on 10 December 2025 and validated on 17 December, with Clyde Shanks Ltd acting as planning agents for the applicant.

The premises was previously occupied by Lidl before the supermarket relocated to a larger store at Riverside Retail Park earlier this year. The building has remained vacant since the retailer’s departure.

In a planning statement submitted as part of the application, JKC BMW said it has outgrown its current premises on Ballycastle Road, describing the site as constrained by surrounding land uses and infrastructure.

The family-owned dealership, which was established in 1972, currently employs around 85 people across four sites in Coleraine and has been trading for more than 50 years.

The company said relocating to the former supermarket building would allow it to improve the customer experience and support future job creation, adding that it had been waiting for a suitable premises within the town to become available.

Planning permission has been granted this month, subject to a number of conditions set out by council planners.