LIDL IS REFUSED PLANNING DESPITE INSPECTOR’S VIEW
AN appeal to block the development of a new larger two-storey Lidl concept store in Enniscorthy has been successful despite the fact that the An Bord Pleanala’s own inspector recommended permission be granted.
Earlier this year Wexford County Council had given the green light to the new development, subject to eight conditions. Under the permission the development would have led to the demolition of the existing store on the outskirts of Enniscorthy and the expansion of the site to include undeveloped lands to the north.
A new 2,774 sq m Lidl store including a ground floor level sales area with ancillary off licence, improved customer facilities, storage areas and first floor level staff accommodation and plant room would have been constructed in its place.
It would have also led to the relocation of the existing road entrance to the store.
However the decision to grant permission to the German retailer was appealed to An Bord Pleanala by the Retail Grocery Dairy & Allied Trades Association (RGDATA) putting a major spanner in the works for the development.
In its appeal to An Bord Pleanala Stephen Ward Town Planning & Development Consultants Ltd working on behalf of RGDATA said that the Lidl site is an out of town centre site zoned as neighbourhood centre. He said that the scale of the proposal is beyond the level appropriate for a neighbourhood centre and is likely to cater for more than the local catchment and as such would contrary National Retail Planning guidance and the Enniscorthy Development Plan.
He also pointed out that part of the site is zoned Community and Education and the proposed use is contrary the zoning objective with no need for retail expansion at this location in favour of appropriate community uses.
Mr Ward also said that the application is contrary to the objectives the Enniscorthy Town and Environs Development Plan in relation to retail and town centre objectives saying the proposal is contrary to the Wexford County Retail Strategy and would use up net spare expenditure capacity up to the year 2022. Mr Ward also said the area is well served by retail development.
He also said the application is lacking in detail regarding a number of issues including the lack of retail impact assessment, an appropriate assessment screening report, a traffic impact assessment, a road safety audit and service infrastructure. Concerns were also raised over the overall design, scale and urban design quality of the development.
He was also critical of Wexford County Council’s assessment of the proposal and raise issues regarding discrepancies in terms of a number of details including site size, floor areas and public notices.
Responding to the concerns raised BMA Planning and Development Consultants on behalf of Lidl said the site had already been deemed appropriate and passed the sequential test and such is supported by the Retail Planning Guidelines.
It said that the proposed development entails the provision of improved staff and customer facilities with a significant portion of the increased floor area dedicated to ancillary staff facilities and customer toilets and baby changing facilities adding it would not result in any significant additional traffic impact on the road network.
It was also pointed out that the overall design of the proposal is a marked improvement over the existing store on site and said that sufficient details had been submitted in regards to service infrastructure.
Inspector with An Bord Pleanala Colin McBride took charge of the investigating the appeal and said having considered the application he recommended that planning permission be granted subject to certain conditions.
He said that ‘ based on the information in the Wexford County Retail Strategy that there is sufficient expenditure capacity available within Enniscorthy to facilitate the level of increase in net floor space proposed over and above that of the established store on the appeal site. In addition I would consider that the level of increase in net retail floor space would not have a significant impact at this location given the established supermarket use on site.
‘I would consider that such would not be out of keeping within a neighbourhood centre and is not out of keeping with established and permitted development at this location. I am satisfied that level of retail development proposed can be accommodated without undermining the viability or vitality of the established town centre and that a retail impact assessment is not required.’
He also said that despite the increased floor area he felt the road network was sufficient to deal with any possible traffic increase. Mr McBride also said that ‘Although marginally below the required standard (of car parking) I would consider that sufficient levels of car parking are provided on site for the proposed development and would note that the site is in walking/ cycling distance of residential development.’
However despite its own inspector recommending the planning be granted An Bord Pleanala decided by a majority of 2 to 1 to refuse permission for the new look Lidl. It said that ‘in the absence of a retail impact assessment and sequential test, the proposed development would constitute a significant intensification of retail provision in this area to a degree that would be contrary to the neighbourhood centre zoning objective for the area, would detract from the vitality and viability of Enniscorthy town centre, and would be contrary’ to the proper planning and sustainable development.
Its second reason behind the refusal was the lack of good quality street frontage onto the Bellefield Road due to the construction of a 70m long ‘ largely black facade’.
‘Notwithstanding the existing development on this site, the proposed development fails to provide a good quality of active street frontage to Bellefield Road and would be over dominated by car parking and hard surfaces unrelieved by the poor level of landscaping proposed’.