Big changes in pipeline for large shopping centre in the Midlands

The public will soon have a different shopping experience at the biggest shopping centre in Laois under a new planning application being lodged with planners at County Hall.

Lindat Ltd has put the public on notice that it intends to apply to Laois County Council for changes to the Laois Shopping Centre in Portlaoise.

The initial obligatory public notice outline of the development says there will be a new entrance, a new lobby and closure of an existing public entrance at the business in the heart of the county town.

A separate notice for the centre is seeking permission for a big new shop by merging two existing units.

As to where exactly the changes to the property are earmarked for, the notice says the works will be carried out to the southeast of the centre. This would mean work to the Tesco end of the complex, which faces the Dunnes Stores anchored Kyle Centre.

Lindat say the development will consist of a change of use of a 236 sq metre area of the building from retail to ‘circulation’ space over three levels, lower ground, mall, and first floor of the building. It will affect units 36, 136 and anchor 03.

This work is being done to ‘create a new common lobby area’ that will have lift access to all levels. Some minor reconfiguration work to the internal floor levels at the lower grand is planned.

The centre’s owners also want to change how people enter the building from the Kyle Centre side along the Kylekiproe Road. The proposed works include the creation of a new public entrance at the southeast corner of the adjacent through works adjacent to the service yard. The plan proposes direct access from the public footpath.

Alterations to the building’s facade are also on the cards. This includes the blocking up of an existing door to the existing shopping centre lobby.

The existing entrance from the Kyle Centre side of the building is via the steps that lead to a pedestrian crossing on Kylekiproe Road. There is no reference to the pedestrian crossing in the summary public notice. The existing entry is also accessed by a wheelchair ramp from the Shaw’s side of the Shopping Centre.

A seperate notice to the public for the shopping centre says Lindat is seeking permission to merge two upper ground floor retail units (35 and 36) with both accessed from the internal mall. This will create a new single larger are unit of 781 sq metres.

A food court was recently opened near the existing Kylekiproe entrance.

Earlier in 2025, Primark Ltd was given the green light to double the size of the Penney’s shop at the James Fintan Lalor side of the busy shopping centre.

Read ALSO: Deadline extended to the community and voluntary awards in Laois

Primark wants to expand into two vacant units at the mall level, doubling the size of the store to almost 2,900 sq metres.

Laois Shopping Centre opened in November 1991. A substantial €62 million redevelopment project was completed in 2010 for Harcourt Development.

Apart from adding more retail space, a significant amount of parking was added. The project was delayed and downsized due the the property crash. It now includes 30 stores over two levels with 1200 basement car parking spaces.

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