Unfair to single out Aldi and Lidl
. The council is happy with the wording in the new development plan in relation to the possible development of deep water port at Bremore.
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A PERCEIVED discrimination against the discount stores like Aldi and Lidl is to be removed from the latest draft of the County Development Plan as councillors went against the recommendations of county planners. Cllr Anne Devitt (FG) said that dealing with 'discount stores' as a separate category in terms of planning regulations for retail outlets, 'discriminated' against two particular operators, namely Aldi and Lidl.
She favoured the stores, depending on size, being categorised in the same way as ' convenience stores'. The planning department explained that the classifications were not the council's but came from the retail planning guidelines issued by central Government and based on the Planning Act.
But Cllr Devitt said that in the public's mind, discount stores meant Aldi and Lidl and it was unfair to single out the two operators for special treatment.
But senior planner, Sean O' Faircheallaigh argued that discounts stores were not being singled out for special treatment.
He said: 'Far from discriminating against discount stores we are simply asking them to behave the same as everyone else and respect the principles under the retail planning guidelines.'
The senior planner said that retail should first be placed in town centres where possible and only where all possibilities were exhausted in the town centre, should an alternative location be considered.
He said: 'My experience of discount stores is that they will go for the cheapest option and if they can get a shed in an industrial estate then they will go for a shed in an industrial estate.'
The senior planner said that meant that these retail outlets effectively become totally 'car borne' with all the traffic issues that comes with it.
Cllr Tom O'Leary (FG) said he was surprised there was no Lidl or Aldi store in Swords and suggested that the planning regulations were out of step with consumer demands.
Ultimately, Cllr Devitt's motion was passed by a significant majority of councillors who supported the ending of a special category for 'discount stores'.
- John MANNING
