The retail property group, along with joint owner Snodden's Construction, withdrew the planning application for a second phase of the retail development in July 2007 with the intention of reapplying later in the year. However, at the time of publication the Department of the Environment had received no new planning applications for the site.

After the plans came under heavy criticism from other traders in the area, Westfield announced it would withdraw and modify the scheme, which includes Northern Ireland's first John Lewis department store.

Peter Miller, director of development design and construction at Westfield said: "Westfield remains committed to delivering an exciting retail experience at Sprucefield and the substantial economic and social benefits the scheme will bring to the people of Northern Ireland.

"Together with John Lewis we will be investing more than £150m in the next phase of Sprucefield, which will deliver a significant boost to the Northern Ireland economy, creating over 2,000 new jobs.

"It will bring new shopping opportunities, reversing the flow of spending out of Northern Ireland to other centres in the rest of the UK and Ireland."

The UK's largest department store group, John Lewis, is also 'committed' to the project.

Director of retail design and development Gareth Thomas said: "John Lewis remains committed to bringing its unique retail and employment proposition to Northern Ireland, via a proposed 220,000-sq ft full line department store at Sprucefield.

"We're confident that a new design delivered by Westfield will be in line with our own long-term vision and we'll continue to work with them to deliver a scheme that will benefit the whole region and reduce the high levels of leakage out of Northern Ireland into the UK and Republic of Ireland."

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