Holywood Exchange facts for kids
Holywood Exchange is a large shopping area located near Belfast and Holywood, in Northern Ireland. It's right next to Belfast City Airport. This big retail park is in an area called Knocknagoney. In the past, it was known by different names like D5 and Harbour Exchange.
Today, Holywood Exchange has many different shops. You can find stores like Harvey Norman, Next Home, Decathlon, and Wrights Sofaland. There's also a large Sainsbury's supermarket with a petrol station, a big B&Q store for home improvements, and an IKEA store. Getting this shopping area built was quite a journey, with some challenges and legal discussions along the way.
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How Holywood Exchange Started
The idea for this shopping area began a long time ago, in 1995. The first plan was for a place called D5. There were many discussions and a public meeting to decide if it should be built. In 1997, the people in charge of planning said it was a good idea.
However, some groups, like Belfast City Council, were not happy. They felt the decision wasn't made correctly. So, the permission to build D5 was stopped for a while.
Another big shop, Tesco, was also planning to build nearby. When the D5 plans were stopped, the developers of D5 tried to stop the Tesco plans too. But the judge decided not to stop Tesco's building because it was almost finished.
The developers of Holywood Exchange tried again to get permission. It was a long process with more appeals and discussions. Finally, after several years, in February 2001, they got the final approval to start building.
Opening of the First Shops
Building work for the B&Q store began in December 2002. It was one of the first big shops to open at Holywood Exchange in August 2003. Soon after, the Sainsbury's supermarket opened its doors in September 2003.
For a while, some of the other retail units were empty. This was because there were strict rules about what kind of goods could be sold there. They were mainly for "bulky goods," like furniture or large electronics. Later, the rules were changed a bit to allow for more space inside the shops, which helped attract more retailers.
IKEA Arrives
A very exciting addition to Holywood Exchange was IKEA. In 2006, IKEA announced they wanted to build their first store in Northern Ireland here. They planned a very large store, and the idea was approved in December 2006.
Work on the IKEA store started in January 2007, and it opened its doors on 13 December 2007. This huge store has a big restaurant with 500 seats, a bistro, and a Swedish food shop. It also has a large car park for over 1,400 cars. To be eco-friendly, the store uses a special boiler that burns woodchips from the local area for heating.
Places to Eat
In 2012, plans were made to add more places to eat at Holywood Exchange. Several restaurant units were built within the retail park. By 2015, popular places like Subway and Costa Coffee had opened their doors, offering visitors more options for snacks and drinks.
Getting There
Holywood Exchange is easy to get to because it has good road connections. There's a special flyover on the A2 road that helps cars get in and out easily. The Belfast-Bangor railway line also runs very close to the shopping area.
There have been ideas to build a train station nearby. This station could serve both Holywood Exchange and Belfast City Airport. The airport thinks a station closer to its terminal would be better for air travellers. There are also talks about creating a new road from Holywood Exchange to the airport to help reduce traffic.
In 2007, a study was started to look into building a fast public transport route. This route would connect Holywood Exchange to Belfast city centre. It would also pass by the airport and the Titanic Quarter area, making it easier for many people to visit.
Images for kids
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Entrance sign to Holywood Exchange, March 2009
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B&Q, Holywood Exchange, February 2010
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Sainsbury's, Holywood Exchange, February 2010
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Next Home, Holywood Exchange, February 2010
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Harvey Norman, Holywood Exchange, February 2010
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IKEA, Holywood Exchange, February 2010
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