Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
DISCOUNT RETAIL CHAIN Dealz is appealing to the national planning authority after the latest in a long series of run-ins with local councils over unapproved developments.
Since UK retailer Poundland launched the Dealz brand in Ireland seven years ago, over a dozen disputes between the company and county councils have boiled over nationwide.
In the most recent case, from December, Wexford council ruled that Dealz broke planning laws by opening a store in Clonard Retail Park more than two years ago.
Dealz appealed to the council last year for permission to keep the convenience-style outlet open. But the council said the building, which was formerly a tile store, is zoned for the sale of bulky goods.
The British retailer has now brought the case to An Bord Pleanála in a bid to overturn the local authority’s decision. The firm highlighted the high vacancy rate in Wexford retail parks, suggesting there was an “over-provision of retail warehousing units”.
However an analysis by Fora shows that the case was far from an isolated incident, with Dealz displaying a track record for opening stores without prior consent.
After launching stores in 15 different counties, the retailer retrospectively applied to county councils to retain aspects of each development that had been included without planning permission.
Over the past three years, Dealz has also brought several of these disputes before the national planning body.
Nevertheless, Dealz has enjoyed little success in its planning appeals. One Dealz case already before An Bord Pleanála relates to a store opened in Fontfill, south Dublin, during 2016.
The case mirrors the latest dispute in Wexford, with Dealz opening a store at Fontfill Retail Park in a unit zoned for the sale of bulky goods.
Last year, South Dublin County Council said the company had no permission to operate the outlet and was in breach of planning laws.
Dealz appealed the ruling to An Bord Pleanála. A final decision by the national body was due last year but has twice been pushed back.
Appeals
Many of the retailer’s other disputes with county councils have centred on planning applications for internal shop modifications, store signage and window advertisements put in place without permission.
The majority of local councils ordered the company to remove the unapproved works. Dealz fought three of these planning orders, two in Dublin and one in Limerick, through the national planning body but failed to overturn the decisions.
Despite the rulings from An Bord Pleanála, the retailer refused to take down some of the signage, which resulted in Limerick’s county and city councils initiating legal proceedings against Dealz in 2016.
Last month, the Limerick Leader reported that legal proceedings were brought to a close when the court was told the signage was removed. Dealz paid the council’s legal costs for the case.
Dealz has rapidly expanded across Ireland since it launched its first two Irish stores nearly seven years ago. The company now has 60 locations in the Republic, while parent Poundland has over 250 more discount stores spread across the UK and France.
Fora contacted Dealz for comment on the most recent cases and its disputes with local authorities.
A spokewoman said: “We’re continuing to engage with local authorities – to keep colleagues employed and our stores open for customers.”
Written by Killian Woods and posted on Fora.ie
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
‘zoned for the sale of bulky goods’ seriously? We’d rather have vacant units than allow dealz or whoever else in to trade. Our planning laws are a joke.
@Alan Madden: yeah they are. I wonder are dealz simply doing what they’d do as Poundland in the UK without any problems and then finding the Irish system a joke?
@Alan Madden: correct councils all over the country are refusing planning on existing units because of the original conditions on what the units are allowed to sell.
@León O’Keeffe: I’d say they’re saying the Irish system is a joke. There’s any amount of precedence set whereby people or businesses get planning permission granted after the building is built or in use. I’m sure there’s brown envelopes still in circulation too.
“A decision by ABP which was due last year has since been pushed back twice”. A lack of decisive and firm action by the planning authorities plays into these company’s hands in these situation’s. The process is far to long winded and drawn out.
Nonetheless Dealz come across as a shower do tosssers and bullies.
Makes me laugh to see the organic tofu eating Davidson promoting Dealz , I can see her sitting down with the hubby in Barbados counting their slot machine cash scoffing at the the poor customers that if not gambling are buying a cart full of dealz jellies
@Chris McNamara: no morals
They are renting otherwise empty units, employing locals, generating taxes paid, both direct and indirect.
Opening without planning is actionable, close them or approve them.
But don’t be a snob just because you don’t shop there.
@Peter Davis: just because they are empty units and employing locals, as for generating taxes, that’s very debatable, doesn’t make it right!! how about a multinational chain opening up next to you, only doing half of the paperwork you had to do, for the same planning restriction. Furthermore, letting it go, set a precedent that’s it ok to flout laws, that they aren’t taken seriously, if not taken seriously, what’s the point of having them in the first place. might as well the planning dept in DCC, and save some taxpayer money. Now who’s the snob?
@Yiu Fai Lau: meant scrapping the planning dept in DCC
@Peter Davis: by the way when you say Starbucks generating taxes, do you mean like this. https://www.thesun.ie/archives/irish-news/222572/revealed-starbucks-paid-only-e45-tax-in-ireland-last-year/
It has to be asked if ABP is fit for purpose. No one benefits from the long drawn out process. There have been too many cases in past few months that are taking ludicrous amounts of time.
@Dave Phelan: ABP
Anything But Planning
Anything But Poundland
It’s a South Africa company called Steinhoff Europe AG. It’s in financial meltdown after a financial scandal!
They are in a retail park that still has at least two units empty for over 10 years and also include the very similar Mr Price.
I saw this earlier in the week and thought ffs another Starbucks but when I saw the council ‘zoned for bulky goods’ I thought how ridiculous.
Starbucks is another one that should be featured here. Blatantly flouting planning laws, tax laws, do whatever they wants. If the laws were properly enforced, they would have shut down for good!! Beside the low tax rate, multinational know Ireland has a low enforcement rate for pretty much most of the laws, if not all. One law for the law abiding citizens, where most of them are local, and another law for the privileged!!
@Yiu Fai Lau: yeah what are they like, coming over here, paying rent spending money locally on signage, providing jobs selling cut price goods, undercutting the over priced Irish locals. The cheek of some companies
@Yiu Fai Lau:
One gets the distinct impression you or someone belonging to you own a coffee shop.
@John O Chrualaoich: €5 for a couple of cubes of ice and 100ml of milk blitzed. Cut price! Sure they are practically giving them away.
@GizmoIrl:
Don’t buy it then.
They are providing employment .
@Gerry Fallon: a few part-timers, and 2 maybe full time per branch, is hardly something to write home about. Considering the size of these companies. It sets a precedent that these companies can influence planning laws, and flout them as they please. Good luck to you if you ever want to set up your own business.
@Gerry Fallon: Yes but they sell inferior goods to people that can least afford to be sold substandard goods.
This company should be sent packing, from Tined Burgers, and tined breakfast
Bizzare concept this Dealz business, stupidity seems to be it’s marketing approach, stupidity given if it’s customers actually did the maths, Dealz is more expensive than other retailers. Whilst they claim to be cheaper, particularly for named Brands, it is quite simply nonsense, they also only stock limited brand names having purchased in Bulk when said brands flog batches that don’t pass quality tests, wether is be packaging, labling and in some case sell by date issues.
Rosanna with the latest Ann Summers “Inflatable Python” marital aid. No sharps please…
It’s not British – its South African /German
have your say