Lidl make fresh bid for Knocknacarra store
Fresh plans for the development of a €2 million Lidl supermarket off the Western Distributor Road in Knocknacarra have been lodged with the City Council – just months after a similar application was shot down by the Appeals Board.
And a Master Plan for the area suggests possible future uses for adjoining lands including further neighbourhood uses, open spaces, residential development and pedestrian routes.
The supermarket, if permitted, would take between five and six months to build, creating 24 construction jobs, while creating up to 25 full-time jobs in the supermarket.
It has a projected annual turnover of more than €8.5 million.
Florence Thomas has sought permission for a single storey mono-pitch roofed discount foodstore with off licence over a gross floor area of 1,894 square metres (net retail area of 1,271 sq m) on the two-acre site bounded by the Ballymoneen Road and Distributor Road.
Vehicular and pedestrian access will be from the Distributor Road, and pedestrian access via Ballymoneen Road.
Last August, An Bord Pleanala turned down an almost identical application on the site, ruling there should be a mix of uses in the neighbourhood centre (for which the site is earmarked in the City Development Plan) rather than a single retail building, and the development would not be welcoming for pedestrians and cyclists.
A Master Plan for the area – including lands not in Ms Thomas’ ownership – is enclosed as part of the new application.
“The Master Plan sets out an indicative layout for the overall ‘block’ of undeveloped/underdeveloped lands to the west and south of the site. It illustrates the potential location of additional neighbourhood centre uses, open spaces, residential development and pedestrian and vehicular routes.
“A portion of the adjoining lands are not in the control of the applicant and a number of scenarios have been prepared,” it reads.
A number of revisions to the layout of the proposed foodstore have been made to address the issues raised by An Bord Pleanala
- The proposed access road has been widened (to 6.5 metres)
- Parking has been realigned to allow for “generous banked landscaping”
- The located of the proposed building has been moved
- The Ballymoneen entrance has been enhanced with a paced entrance way and cycle parking
More than 130 residents from the adjoining Leargán estate signed an objection to the original application on the grounds of increased traffic and public safety, that it may lead to anti-social behaviour because of youths congregating outside as happens in other nearby supermarkets.
They also expressed concerns that employment could be lost in local shops and supermarkets such as Dunnes, Joyce’s and Supervalu.
The Portacarron Residents’ Association on the Ballymoneen Road had similar concerns, with around 100 residents signing one of their objections.