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BRITISH DISCOUNT RETAILER Dealz is being investigated by two separate local authorities over planning permission for its stores.
Wexford County Council served a warning letter on 13 August to Dealz over the chain’s outlet in Wexford Retail Park. It is understood the premises, formerly a tile store, was zoned for bulky goods, rather than for retail.
Dealz is operated by UK firm Poundland, which was recently taken over by a South African retailer.
The council is currently considering enforcement under Part VIII of the Planning and Development Act, 2000, which makes it an offence to carry out an unauthorised development.
Dealz previously applied for retention planning permission at the store just before Christmas of last year, but was told by the Council that the application was invalid.
In a statement to TheJournal.ie, a spokesman for Wexford County Council said:
I can confirm that Wexford County Council has served a warning letter in respect of this development and we are currently considering further enforcement to resolve the planning issues.
Efforts to contact a spokesperson for Dealz, which was established in Ireland as Poundland in 1990 before changing its name in 2011, were unsuccessful.
Separately, the company has also been contacted by Limerick Council in relation to “an issue” with unauthorised signage for their Dealz on the corner of Bedford Row/Henry Street in Limerick City. The store opened earlier this year.
Lucan
Questions have also been raised over planning permission for a Dealz outlet in Fonthill Retail Park near Lucan by planning sources.
South Dublin County Council did not respond when asked by TheJournal.ie on Thursday evening and Friday lunchtime whether the site, near the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre, had been zoned for retail or the sale of bulky goods, and whether the outlet’s operations were in keeping with this zoning.
In 2005 the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government published their retail planning guidelines which aims to protect the vitality and viability of town centres.
In an effort to do this, local authorities have zoned the majority of out of town centre locations for the sale of goods of a bulky nature.
Galway
Earlier this year, Galway City Council refused Dealz permission to retain signage on its Eyre Square premises.
The UK-owned chain submitted a conservation report with the application for the building – a former men’s County Club dating back to 1850 – arguing that the signage was “sympathetic” to its location.
After complaints by An Taisce, City Council planners ruled that the building was within the Eyre Square Architectural Conservation Area and the sign contravened it.
Last month, Dublin City Council gave Dealz changed planning permission to take over the Epicurean Food Hall, which sits at the confluence of Liffey and Abbey Streets in Dublin 1.
The food hall ceased trading in March after 16 years in business.
The British retailer’s planning issues follow several high-profile cases of multinationals opening stores without planning permission.
Earlier this week, Starbucks opened a new outlet in Waterford City without proper planning, TheJournal.ie revealed.
Waterford Council’s planning department say they have opened a planning enforcement case on the coffeeshop, which was the chain’s first to open in the city centre.
Cork City
A decision on a planning application from Starbucks for its Princes Street outlet in Cork City, meanwhile, is expected on 21 September.
The cafe is one of three outlets Starbucks opened in Cork in the past 18 months ago without the necessary planning.
In March, An Bord Pleanála body ruled that the three developments – the other two are in Opera Lane and Patrick Street – amount to a change of use, meaning planning permission was needed for all outlets.
Starbucks recently applied for planning to retain permission for the Princes Street store to use the unit as a coffee shop with seating.
I’m glad he’s back. Hopefully it’ll set a precedent not to condemn someone for life because they said something once a long time ago that wasn’t nice. Maybe his supporters can take a look at other people they condemn, sometimes without any evidence, and realise people have a right to a fair hearing and there needs to be a path to redemption for those that have said and done things in the past. We’re all flawed humans. Without sin, stones, glass houses and all that stuff.
@Toomasu Sumitsu: Yes because its perfectly normal to make repeated jokes over and over about rape AND pedophilia, which is what this scuzz bucket did. If you were an employer, and a perspective candidate interviewed for the job, and you subsequently discovered he had a very disturbed sense of humor which he plastered all over social media, would you want him working for you? They werent actually even jokes, they were just odd, random but very offensive statements.
@Toomasu Sumitsu: some more flawed than others – did you read his tweets? It’s not just one or two inappropriate tweets. There are a lot of them and quite severe.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/fb-5976069/amp/JAMES-GUNNS-DELETED-TWEETS.html
@Pauline Gallagher: Jesus i am glad nobody from Disney hired me…when me and the lads are in the pub every Friday evening our jokes go much further. But then again we have a sense of humor and aren’t offended by every comment posted on social media. I guess its down to …….who gives a shit what he said and who gives a bigger shit about your opinion. ..life is funny sometimes
@Pauline Gallagher: give over wud ya
@Pat Conners: Rape is not joke material. Gang rape is not joke material. Suggesting engaging in sexually violent crimes against a child or an adult is not joke material. The level of global sexual violence should horrify you. Speaking in such a derogatory way about such serious crimes is not about whether a person finds it offensive or not. Sexual violence should be abhorrent to everyone, and that includes using it as the subject matter of a joke.
@Felicity Hensen: You obviously haven’t seen Jim Jeffries stand up on Bill Cosby
@Skybloo: that were 10 years ago. If I look back at myself 10 years ago and how I went on and what I found funny, it was embarrassing.
@Pauline Gallagher: Wouldn’t give a sh!t as long as he did a good job. Which he does.
@Pauliebhoy: Actually, I have. What do you think was the point Jim was trying to make?
@Pat Conners: So you joke about children being raped? Well wouldn’t want to be friends with the likes of you as you just said, joked about much worse than that. It doesnt GET any worse than that. I definitely would hire you either, and DISNEY?? Its a CHILDRENS film company!!! You dont get it, so why am i even bothering. Sense of humour??? for one thing, jokes are meant to make you laugh. You have one seriously ffed up notion if what constitutes humour.
@Football in the Groin: So what would someone have to do for you to have a problem with him? those films arent exactly essential viewing. Most films these days are pure crap.
Proper order.
Delighted…poor joke(s) but that’s all they were…great to see him back for GOTG…Love those movies…
@Just Eoin: well said, it was in poor taste, he did the time…. But GOTG is his baby…. he deserves to keep it!!!
@Carmel Carroll: someone said today that he was being a bit ‘holier than thou’ himself before this blew up. I suppose he got a taste of that medicine too. Still, glad he’s back, I like his work.
@Carmel Carroll: They werent jokes, they were comments about children comments of a sexual nature. Just these odd, random statements which show a glimpse into how his mind works. But whatever, as long as the films are good
Great to see him back, and an unexpected correct decision from Disney. His tweets were obviously unfunny and in bad taste, but of we were all to be judged by stuff we said ten years ago I doubt anyone would could come out looking good. Also a well placed kick to the nuts of the sad cases that trawl Internet history looking for nonsense to bring people down.
@Shane McGettrick: did you say sexual stuff about children ten years ago? because he did
@Pauline Gallagher: I’m going to make such a joke right now. ”Do you know what the best part is about having sex with 21 year Olds?”
I honestly don’t believe anyone has a history that is completely pure and clean. I don’t believe what he said a decade ago accurately represents who he is today, it represents his journey to who he is today. You might not think some topics are funny, and that’s fair, as you have lived a different life. He might not think their funny any more either but that’s a distinction that comes with life lived and experience gained.
@A guy down under: Oh give me a break, he wasnt a kid ten years ago who didnt know his own mind, he was a GROWN MAN. he hasnt changed, he apologized because he had no choice, but he lost his job anyway, unfortunately, it didnt stick. Shame on Disney. They are meant to be a CHILDRENS Film company. They have no morals and no principles by letting this weirdo back.
He should not come back he knew what he was saying .He’s old enough to know it was wrong .only sorry when he was found out
@Mary Brennan: Agreed. Money over principles from Disney.
@Mary Brennan: never made a mistake have you?? You sound like an old nun.
@Mary Brennan: you go girl xoxo
@Mary Brennan: they were jokes…offensive but have u ever seen a stand up comedian in your life…shall we get them all fired for jokes that were made 10 years ago..c’mon…come down from that Ivory Tower…far worse things goin on in the world..
@Young Angus: Eh theres making a mistake and making odd so-called jokes about children being sexually assaulted.
@Mary Brennan: didn’t he post on social media? It’s not as if he was found out, some creeps just kept scrolling till they found what they needed.
@Hardly Normal: Oh right i see, the ones who pulled him on it, THEY’RE the creeps, not the sicko who wrote the tweets.
He… Or her… Who has not sinned… Please cast the first stone
@James Doherty: I never committed any sins that involved joking about rape and child molestation, so cut the bible crap. I’ll trow as many stones as i feckin want, because no pretend man in the clouds is judging me for anything.
Ridiculous firing in first place. Don’t get me wrong I don’t agree with anything he said but seriously in this PC world anyone that said something years ago could be vilified nowadays
@Toffeemac: OMG, right! Holding people accountable for their actions and words is such PC bulls**t. I mean, why can’t we all just say what we really think, whenever we want, about whoever we want, and to whomever we want. The world needs more honesty. That’s what’s gone wrong. Courtesy, respect, and manners are such horses**t.
Well if Tucker Carlson can keep his job after the comments he made defending Warren Jeffs then everyone should have a free pass.
And who gives a sh*t about Guardians of the Galaxy anyway? what is he making Citizen Kane here? some dumb movie for overgrown children
@Pauline Gallagher: the first one is possibly the citizen Kane of the mcu but then again that wasn’t even orson wells best movie
@Pauline Gallagher: Citizen Kane is a boring high brow movie. Hugely overrated.
@Rowan Murphy: thats not my point. Im saying that hes not some immense talent and the world can live without his contribution to cinema, so i dont understand why people are so delighted for a third stupid space film.and for a family film company lie Disney of all things to rehire him is such a cowardly back-peddling move. They fired him for good reason, they should have stood their ground
@colm connolly: Yea im not getting into some intellectual film school arguement about the works of Orsen Wells, i was just trying to make a point about the hysteria surrounding his return, like these films arent that important. IO havent even seen Citizen Kane, couldnt care less about Orsen Wells, either.
So you CAN I fire a Gunn!!!
@sequoia:
* unfire a Gunn
Curse my fat fingers
@sequoia: I suggest a dialling wand, if you want to order one just mash your palm into your keypad
I’m glad the smear campaign from Trump supporters didn’t work (remember that’s how the tweets were dug up to begin with). At least Gunn has shown he can grow and realise what he said was wrong, unlike some people.
Brightburn looks decent. He’s done that one i think.
Glad Director James Gunn Back Guardians Of The Galaxy 3 Vol since fired
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