Retailers’ group appeals plans for Lidl in Knocknacarra

From this week’s Galway City Tribune – The independent retailers’ group RGDATA has appealed against plans for a new Lidl supermarket in Knocknacarra, claiming that it would pose a threat to the future viability of the city centre.

The representative group told An Bord Pleanála the fact that Galway City Council has approved 11 planning applications for discount foodstores in the past 10 years is “most concerning”.

It added that the city centre retail sector has been “catastrophically affected” by Covid-19.

The group – which represents independent, family-owned grocery outlets – said it is “particularly concerned with the proliferation of planned and permitted large convenience stores in suburban locations throughout Galway City in recent years”.

Last month, the City Council gave the green light for a €5 million Lidl supermarket on a greenfield site beside Aldi in Knocknacarra.

It was the retailer’s fourth attempt to secure permission for a new store in Knocknacarra – and they were ordered to carry out a series of revisions to their plans for the site at the Bóthar Stiofáin.

In its appeal, RGDATA said that in the past ten years, eleven planning applications for discount stores were lodged and “more concerning” was that the City Council approved each of them.

“If left unchecked, the high growth rate of discount stores is likely to result in a significant adverse retail impact on the city centre and existing centres.

“In this context, we consider that there is a need to appeal these applications in order to safeguard the future retail primacy, vitality and viability of Galway city centre,

“The retail sector in Galway city centre has been catastrophically affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, with a huge increase in retail vacancy in the city centre, the appeal reads.”
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