Plans for a new Lidl store in Galway city have been given the go ahead after An Bord Pleanála ruled against an appeal.
The city council granted planning permission to Radical Properties Unlimited to convert the former PC World at Wellpark Retail Park to a Lidl supermarket back in March.
The council said in making its decision that changing the use of the units from bulky retail to discount superstore would not adversely affect retail in the core of the city or locally.
This decision was appealed to the higher planning authority by the Retail Grocery Dairy & Allied Trades Association which said the council did not give proper consideration to their objections.
According to the RGDATA which said there is insufficient parking at the site for the intensified use that would come with the new supermarket.
It was also argued that the Old Dublin Road, Monivea Road and Monnageisha Junction would not be able to handle the increased traffic.
The appellant also said that the retail park site is an “out of centre” location, and that putting a Lidl store there would contravene the City Development Plan’s guidelines on protecting retail in the city centre.
In relation to that it was also said that the Retail Impact Assessment carried out as part of the original application was not sufficient to show that approval should be given for an out of centre location.
However Radical Properties Unlimited said that the Wellpark Retail Park site is not “out of centre” as the appeal claimed, but an “edge of city centre” location, and therefore suitable for any and all retail uses.
An inspector for the higher planning authority agreed that the location was suitable for a discount retail store, and that the parking available within the larger retail park was sufficient subject to the developer adding 18 additional basement spaces, as planned.
An Bord Pleanála gave the go ahead for the Lidl discount store at Wellpark Retail Park with a total of eight planning conditions attached.
