A planning application has been lodged for a new Lidl store in Blarney.

The supermarket brand is working with architects and planners to create “a bespoke design in keeping with the area to ensure that the new development will contribute positively to Blarney”.

The development, at the former Blarney Park Hotel site just outside the village, includes a café so customers can enjoy a coffee before or after their weekly shop.

If approved, the new store, the retailer’s 21st in Cork, will create 30 new local jobs, while the on-site café will create employment for a further ten people.

“The planned store will incorporate a range of sustainability features including an ISO 50001 certified Energy Management System, electric vehicle charger spaces and a solar panel system.” the company said in a statement.

“It will also offer the retailer’s growing customer base a superior shopping experience with a spacious interior layout, high ceilings and wide aisles creating a comfortable shopping experience for customers.”

Plans include a ‘green’ roof 

As part of the design, Lidl plans to include a green roof, partially covered in vegetation, to absorb rainwater and provide insulation, reducing the need for in-store drainage systems. Green roofs help to cool urban environments, improve air quality, sequester carbon and increase urban biodiversity by providing habitat for wildlife.

“The new proposed store will also support many local suppliers in the region including West Cork Distillers, who supply Lidl with premium, award-winning whiskeys and gins including Wild Burrow Irish Gin and Dundalgan Irish Whiskey. The Distillery has been supplying Lidl since 2015 and the retailer has invested more than €12 million into the business to date, including facilitating the export of their best-selling products to Lidl stores in 16 countries across Europe.” added the retailer.