McDonalds permission is upheld
LIDL HAVE confirmed that they do not intend to allow McDonalds to build at their Blacklion site.
In a statement, Lidl said that they remain committed to bringing a new concept store to Greystones although they have no confirmed timeline.
This follows a failed appeal by Temple Carrig School against planning permission for McDonalds to build there.
Lidl had previously stated that they would not proceed with the plans and instead submitted separate plans to redevelop the store.
Since then, a ‘No Fry Zone’ has been included in the Wicklow County Development plan, banning fast food restaurants in close proximity to schools.
The permission for McDonald’s had already been granted, so the No Fry Zone did not apply. Temple Carrig proceeded to the High Court in an attempt to eliminate even the slightest chance that the restaurant could develop there. The school took and lost a judicial review taken against the decision by An Bord Pleanala to allow the McDonalds permission at Blacklion Retail Centre.
Philip Moyles, chairman of the No Fry Zone 4 Kids committee said that they are working on having No Fry Zones implemented nationally and as soon as possible.
Mr Justice Max Barrett said in the High Court last week that the school had decided to proceed with its case due to concerns the ‘pendulum of commerce may yet swing again’, and a fastfood restaurant unwanted by the board may yet be built close to the school.
The school did not consider having a fast-food restaurant almost on its doorstep ‘is conducive to healthy eating by impressionable children going to and from the school’, he said.
The issue was whether An Bord Pleanála erred in how it made its decision and the court’s conclusion was it had not, and that it did all that was required of it under the Planning and Development Act 2000.
He found no error in the board’s decision to grant permission, by a four-to-one majority, generally in accordance with recommendations of its inspector.