New vote may pave way for €35m hypermarket

Date Published: 09-Jun-2011

BY ENDA CUNNINGHAM

A landmark re-vote ordered by the High Court on a rezoning proposal in the Westside could pave the way for a massive €35 million Tesco Extra hypermarket – creating around 150 construction jobs, as well positions for up to 250 full and part-time employees.

Meanwhile, city officials have been criticised for racking up an estimated legal bill of around €120,000 for the Judicial Review case, which councillors believe “could and should have been avoided”.

The Galway City Tribune understands the British retail giant has signed a ‘Heads of Agreement’ with landowner Micheál Ó hUigínn to take on the 9.55 acre site off the Seamus Quirke Road – any contract would be dependent on full planning permission being secured on the site.

Tesco Extra stores typically measure at least 5,000 square metres, and as well as a large supermarket, also stock clothing, footwear, electrical goods, hardware and gardening equipment, along with a fuel filling station.

The hypermarkets – of which there are already 13 in Ireland – generally employ up to 250 workers, while it is estimated that around 150 construction workers would be employed on the 12-18 month build.

The serious legal flaw in voting on the City Development Plan 2011-17 – first revealed by this newspaper last March – could see the initial refusal vote on Mr Ó hUigínn’s site overturned.

The landowner sought a Judicial Review of certain elements of the Development Plan on the basis that Independent councillor and barrister Catherine Connolly participated in key votes at a meeting last January, despite the fact she should have earlier left the Council Chamber after a vote to expel her because of her behavior towards Mayor Mike Crowe.

Instead, the Mayor left the Chamber, and with a 7-7 tie on voting to rezone the land to District Centre status , Brian Walsh then used his second ‘casting’ vote against the proposal.

In the High Court on Tuesday, Mr Justice George Birmingham said that specific vote should be re-taken by July 11, and awarded two-thirds of the costs of the proceedings to Mr O’Higgins.

For more on this story, see the Galway City Tribune.