Excavation work begins on new €2m supermarket

Excavation work has begun on the site of the new €2 million Aldi supermarket in Knocknacarra, with the store expected to open at the end of the year.

Site clearance and groundworks on the 1.6 acre site off the Western Distributor Road began in recent weeks, and around 25 people are expected to be employed when construction work begins.

Under the construction model used by the German supermarket giant, the new store should be up-and-running within six months and 25 full-time jobs will be created.

Last November, the Planning Appeals Board ignored the recommendations of one of its own senior inspectors and gave the go-ahead for the new 1,540 square metre single-storey supermarket and off licence, as well as more than 90 parking space.

The site is located between the Distributor Road and Millar’s Hall – which houses Monkey Business and Pure Skill, and will be accessed via the unnamed link road which links Bóthar Stiofáin and the ‘Galway Gateway’ retail park, known locally as Knocknacarra Shopping Centre or Galway West Retail Park.

Pedestrian access will be from the link road and from the Distributor Road.

Last year, RGDATA – the group which represents small, family-owned businesses – appealed the City Council’s grant of permission for the development on the grounds that retailing needs are already adequately serviced in the area and that it would adversely impact on the vitality and viability of the city centre as well as existing nearby outlets.

In his report to An Bord Pleanála, Senior Planning Inspector Robert Ryan said the building would represent a “poor quality form of development”.

“It is considered that the proposed development, by reason of its horizontal design emphasis, low scale, density and poor linkage when taken together with the creation of a large surface parking area, would represent a poor quality form of development in terms of visual amenity of property in the vicinity,” said Mr Ryan.

However, the Board over-ruled him, saying: “The height and design of the proposed retail unit would be acceptable within the context of a largely two-storey residential hinterland.”

Planners ordered that the store can only operate between 9am and 9pm on Monday to Saturday and 10am to 7pm on Sundays.

Any 24-hour operations are restricted by planning condition to four weeks of each calendar year and for times close to Christmas and Easter.

Restrictions are also in place on construction hours, and any potential rock-breaking that may be required. Construction can only take place between 8am and 6pm on Monday to Friday and 9am to 1pm on Saturday. Rock-breaking schedules must be agreed with the Council in writing.

Permission previously existed on the site for a five-storey block with supermarket, offices and primary healthcare centre.

However, Aldi admitted the plans were unviable as it could not find a tenant for the medical facility and subsequently scaled back the plans to what is currently being built.