2 weeks Ago By Irishexaminer.com
Supermarket Lidl is planning a second licensed discount food store for Killarney, Co Kerry. The application to Kerry County Council is for an acre site on what was the old Torc Hotel Great Southern property on Park Road for a building with a gross area of 2,347sq m. The current Killarney Lidl store dates to 2002, and is on the northern Hans Liebherr Road/ Tralee side of Killarney.
The new store, alongside the omniplex cinema and railway and bus stations on the eastern edge of town, would require a material contravention of the county development plan for Killarney. The current mixed-use zoning allows cultural, office, medical, residential and hotel facilities. However, Lidl argues the Park Road store on the edge of the town centre — to be constructed in 2027 — will be a net gain for the broader retail catchment area of Killarney and will employ 25 people.
The town is already losing out to Tralee, which has "a more diverse competition-led retail attraction”, the application argues. Killarney catchment has a population of more than 31,000 currently, the retailer estimates. However, about 10% of the convenience retail spend available within the catchment area is leaking to competing centres, while the town of Killarney also gains from passing tourist trade.
The leakage is due to “the level and relative lack of diversity of retail provision within the catchment area”, the application states. As well as 1,500sq m of retail space, the new store would include a public lobby and toilets, as well as staff facilities, IT room, plant room, delivery area, and storage. The single-storey building would have 975sq m of rooftop photovoltaic solar panels.
A total of 97 car spaces are planned, including 20 for EVs, and there would be 24 bike spaces. The Park Road is shortly to have designated bike lanes as part of a major upgrade of cycleways in Killarney. The application is accompanied by a letter of consent for the planning application from directors of Torcbridge Ltd of Rathmines, Dublin, owners of the site.
Speculation before the economic downturn was that Dunnes Stores was planning to build a new store on the old Torc site, but this did not materialise and Killarney’s sole Dunnes outlet is on New Street in the centre of Killarney town. Meanwhile, much of the food retail in Killarney is now found on the eastern and wider Park Road area, with outlets there including Aldi, the larger Tesco, M&S, and SuperValu. A decision by planners is due in December.
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