Planning appeal expected against new Lidl supermarket
RGDATA, the representative group for independent and family-owned grocery outlets, is expected to appeal a planning grant for a new Lidl supermarket in Knocknacarra.
The German retailer had been given the go ahead for the construction of a new €5 million supermarket on the Western Distributor Road – its fourth attempt to secure a new store in Knocknacarra.
Galway City Council approved permission to build the new supermarket beside rival Aldi following several complete redesigns of their proposal.
However, RGDATA has raised concerns about “the proliferation of planned and permitted convenience stores in suburban locations throughout Galway City in recent years” and is expected to appeal the decision.
Last year, An Bord Pleanála overturned a previous permission on the site for Lidl, branding it “monolithic and poor quality of development”.
The company then submitted a fresh planning application for the 1.5-acre site at Bóthar Stiofáin to build a one and two-storey building with a total floor area of almost 2,700 square metres.
The Council ordered two extensive redesigns of those plans – including moving the supermarket from the ground floor to the first floor – before granting permission.
“The convenience retail element would not be in competition with the city centre and would not affect its primacy, as the city centre would generally provide a wider range of higher-quality goods while a development as proposed would generally provide for a low grade, bulky goods.
“It is considered that the provision of food should be positioned closer to residential catchment areas which would encourage more sustainable retail trip generation,” the local authority rule.
A statement from Lidl said it intends to commence construction of the building next January, creating 50 construction jobs, as well as 30 permanent jobs in the supermarket.
However, RGDATA has until October 7 to lodge an appeal against the planning decision.
The group argued that there is no justification for an additional discount foodstore in the area, and that it was of “poor urban design” with inadequate parking and would therefore create a parking hazard.
This was the second planning application for a Lidl on the site, while two other applications were turned down for a site off the Ballymoneen Road roundabout, where the Gleann na Móna housing development is currently under construction. Please remember that without advertising revenue and people buying or subscribing to our newspapers, this website, and our Facebook and Twitter pages would not exist. You can subscribe to the Galway City Tribune or buy a digital edition HERE.