Tesco has joined the owners of Erneside Shopping Centre in formally objecting to plans for Marks & Spencer to relocate to a new Foodhall at Lakelands Retail Park in Enniskillen.
The latest intervention adds another chapter to the ongoing debate surrounding retail development in the town, with concerns again being raised about the potential impact of out-of-town development on Enniskillen town centre.
M&S and Lakelands developer Elm Grange Ltd are seeking planning permission for a new 17,800 sq ft M&S Foodhall, which would see the retailer leave its long-standing home at Erneside Shopping Centre.
The proposal is currently being considered by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council under planning application LA10/2026/0418/F.
Tesco joins objections to the plans
According to The Irish News, Tesco has now lodged a formal objection through its planning agent, joining Erneside’s owners, Muntermellan Ltd, in opposing the development.
Tesco’s submission argues that the proposed move could cause significant harm to the vitality, attractiveness and viability of Enniskillen town centre.
Muntermellan Ltd, which purchased Erneside Shopping Centre for £12.4 million in December 2025, has also raised concerns about the proposal.
Its objection questions whether alternative town-centre or edge-of-centre locations have been adequately considered and raises concerns about the potential impact on the wider town centre.
M&S remains one of Erneside’s major tenants, alongside retailers including Next.
M&S asking the public to support its move
M&S is making its own case for the development and has now launched a campaign encouraging local residents to submit letters supporting the planning application.
The retailer says the new Foodhall would be almost three times the size of its existing food offering and stock more than 6,600 product lines.
M&S says the development would safeguard its existing 68 jobs in Enniskillen and create three additional positions, bringing the proposed store’s workforce to 71.
The company also says moving to Lakelands would provide extensive free parking, improved accessibility and a significantly larger food range, alongside Click & Collect facilities for fashion, home and beauty orders.
M&S Regional Manager John Paul McShane said the plans represented a significant investment which would help secure the retailer’s long-term future in Enniskillen.
“We hope local residents will show their support for the plans,” he added.
Lakelands was originally set to include major leisure facilities
The latest planning dispute comes against the backdrop of a much longer debate surrounding Lakelands Retail Park.
When plans for the former Unipork factory site were progressing, the development was proposed as considerably more than a traditional retail park.
Original plans included five retail units, a hotel, six-screen cinema, indoor play centre, bowling alley and two garden centres, alongside other facilities.
The development proved controversial from the beginning.
Planning officials had recommended refusal over concerns about the potential impact on Enniskillen town centre, but councillors voted narrowly to approve the development in 2021.
The cinema and bowling alley element was understood to have played a significant role in the decision, which passed against the recommendation of planning officials by just one vote.
However, those leisure plans were subsequently dropped.
A later application sought to replace much of the planned leisure element with a new Lidl supermarket, which was approved in 2025.
Lidl has committed to keeping its existing Railway Junction store operating for five years after the new Lakelands supermarket opens, although its longer-term future remains uncertain.
A wider debate about Enniskillen’s retail future
The proposed M&S move therefore raises a wider question about how retail development in and around Enniskillen will evolve.
For M&S, the company says a larger purpose-built Foodhall represents long-term investment in the town, protects existing employment and gives customers access to a significantly expanded range.
For those objecting, the concern centres on what another major retailer moving away from the town centre could mean for Erneside and the wider retail heart of Enniskillen.
The debate is likely to continue as the M&S application moves through the planning process, particularly given the history of the Lakelands development and the changes made to its original retail and leisure proposals.
Ultimately, the decision on whether the new Foodhall can proceed will rest with the planning process at Fermanagh and Omagh District Council.
