HOPES for a major German retail store in one Limerick town have been dashed by Limerick City and County Council.
An application had been submitted by Lidl to develop a two-storey store in Abbeyfeale on the site of Sheehy’s Hardware Store on the Killarney Road in Abbeyfeale.
The planning application proposed the demolition of the existing Sheehy’s Hardware Store building and the construction of a two-story discount retail store, with ancillary off-licence, in a development spanning 2,258 square metres.
The development was hoped to include surface-level car parking, electric vehicle charging points, cycle stands, trolley bay shelter, and landscaping and boundary treatments. It also proposed an ESB substation building, site lighting, mechanical plant area, and solar panels, along with a ‘flagpole’ sign at the entrance.
Lidl had hoped for road access on the N21.
It is understood the German retail giant would have brought around 30 new jobs to the town.
Handing down its decision this week, Limerick City and County Council quashed the plans, stating three core reasons.
The Council said that, under the Abbeyfeale Local Area Plan, the Sheehy’s Hardware site was zoned for “enterprise and employment”, and as such a new Lidl store was “not considered to be in accordance with the land zoning objective for the site”.
The Council refusal stated that the local area plan sought to “promote employment-generating uses appropriate to the zoning” of the site, such as “enterprise and industrial activity”.
The Council also stated the proposed location of the new Lidl store would “undermine the vitality and viability of the town centre” in Abbeyfeale, also in conflict with the local area plan.
The local authority considered the store’s proposed positioning outside the town’s centre as “contrary” to the local area plan, “which prioritises the town centre as the primary location for retail activity”.
The proposed store was also rejected on account of increased traffic it would potentially generate on the national road network.
Lidl has four weeks to appeal the decision before An Coimisiún Pleanala.