Tesco set to clarify Westside position

British supermarket giants Tesco are expected to indicate in the next few days if they still want to anchor a new €15 million retail development in the Westside.

It emerged this week that the retailer’s ‘agreement in principle’ with developer Micheál O hUigínn became invalid because building designs were revised to meet planning requirements.

Our sister newspaper, the Sentinel, revealed earlier this week that the agreement between both sides is no longer in place, despite the grant of permission for the 9,369 square metre development.

Meanwhile, Mr Ó hUigínn – a former Mayor of Galway – said that a stipulation as part of the planning grant requires him to build a €3.5 million public road through the 6.5 acre site off the Seamus Quirke Road.

The Galway City Tribune understands that contact has been made with Tesco Ireland to gauge their level of interest in the site – the scaling back of the size of the supermarket (by one-tenth) and the planned roadway dissecting the site means the original agreement no longer exists. A response is expected in the coming days from the retailer.

Mr Ó hUigínn said he will be having a series of strategic meetings with his design team in the coming weeks.

He said the new public road – which is a planning condition laid down by the Council – could cost in the region of €3.5 million between land and construction costs, and was the biggest stumbling block.

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