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IT LOOKS LIKE the mighty ‘Great Wall of Dunnes’ in Kildare isn’t going anywhere soon.
Dunnes Stores has been granted planning permission to expand its outlet in Newbridge, adding four new retail units, space for a restaurant and over 400 car parking spaces.
This is despite objections from locals, who were trying to get the supermarket giant to tear down a wall dividing Dunnes from the adjacent Newbridge Retail Park.
For years, there was open access between the retail park and Dunnes Stores, with shoppers able to easily park in one area and shop in another.
However, in September 2015 Dunnes built a concrete wall – that stands at around six feet tall – to separate it from the retail park. The wall was built just days before SuperValu opened a store next to Dunnes.
Since then locals have lobbied the supermarket to get rid of the wall, complaining that it is a major inconvenience and a safety hazard that could restrict the movement of emergency vehicles.
SuperValu even took matters into its own hands – erecting a large, digital display board that faces into the Dunnes car park and showed its special offers.
Although Dunnes stood firm, the issue was raised again when it applied for planning permission through a subsidiary, Castlebrook Investments, to expand the Newbridge site.
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While considering the matter, some council officials looking at the wall echoed concerns raised by residents.
The council’s transport department said Dunnes Stores should get rid of the boundary wall, saying that it was a traffic hazard and restricted the access of emergency vehicles.
However, Kildare County Council went against this in its final decision. The planning officer noted that if the wall was to come down, work would have to be carried out on land that did not belong to Dunnes.
It found that “given legal issues” and the fact that conditions on development “should relate to land which is under the control of the applicant”, removing the boundary wall “is not feasible”.
Kildare County Council’s decision to grant permission for the development was appealed to An Bord Pleanála by Andrew Ross from Newbridge Car Parts, located in the Cill Dara industrial estate opposite the retail park.
He again argued that the wall made movement between parts of Newbridge town harder, and also said he did not understand how Dunnes would have legal issues removing the wall if it was able to build it in the first place.
However, An Bord Pleanála largely supported Kildare council’s decision. It granted permission for the new development, and there is no mention of removal of the wall in the conditions of its decision.
The planning body found that the proposed new development “would be acceptable in terms of pedestrian and traffic safety and would not seriously injure the amenities of the area”.
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How did Dunnes get planning to put up the wall ? Or did they . This is classic Dunnes biggest bunch of argumentative retailers going. Another in a litany of arguments they cause in locations they have throughout Ireland
@JustOneScoop: the wall was always supposed to be there, technically there is no planning permission not to have a wall there, Dunnes just didn’t build the wall but then when a competitor moved in they decided to build it.
@JustOneScoop: The got planing by shutting down the government and throwing a tantrum on twitter, blaming everyone else for their own mistakes and stupidity and them paying off people to look the other way and do what they want them to do …
I’ve jumped over that wall a few times. It’s not only a nuisance for cars but also pedestrians. It’s absolutely ridiculous that it’s been allowed to stay. The council does have a right to dictate what goes on on private land. That’s what planning permission is! And they can give a lawful order to remove something that doesn’t have planning permission. I can only assume some brown envelopes were given out. I think a boycott and protest of Dunnes is in order. There are plenty of other supermarkets in the town.
@P.J. Nolan: that planning permission would have long since expired and therefore the wall was built post expiration and the council could order its removal if they wished. The big question here is why do they not want it removed when their constituents clearly do?
@Siobhán Ni Mhurchú: if their share of the Newbridge market dropped more because of a boycott than because of easier access to a nearby SuperValu then it would make sense to remove it. Even if they didn’t remove it they’d face the consequences of their disregard of the public.
@P.J. Nolan: well they would have had planning permission to have access through there when that retail park was built. So blocking it afterwards doesn’t make sense when considering that original planning permission. Any planning permission for a wall there should never have been granted. If you’re familiar with it you’d have to admit it’s nonsense.
@Brendan Deasy: it’s hard to tell if you know what you are talking about in planning issues vs some others that just make up what they think planning laws are, so let’s see…
When was dunnes Granted pp for the wall and how long does that pp last legally?
@Toomasu Sumitsu:
I’m not familiar with the location, you could well be right in saying it’s a “nonsense”
My experience is from dealing with Dunne Stores from the buildings and facilities side.
Many a council around the country have thought they were in charge when it comes to dunne stores, sooner rather than later they will discover that’s not the case, they don’t back down and will use the threat of closer to get their way.
@Cicero: the planning permission for the pedestrian entrance was granted in 1991 so that puts the date of any permission for the wall if there had ever been any at 1980s or earlier depending when the place was built. Full planning permission expires after 5 years so it’s safe to say it was very much expired when they illegally erected it in 2015.
@John Considine: that’s a good question. Their big electric signs into the town look like traffic signs that display warnings. You read it thinking you’re going to get info on roadworks etc. but instead it’s a message about a 2 for 1 Pringles special.
Dunnes have always secured the most prime lucrative locations across the country. Always have.
Inextricably linked to the levers and controls that have ruled /ruined this country for decades
Yet another classic decision by Kildare County Council.
The article yesterday on the Journal about Naas gave me a good chuckle – yet another town made derelict by the decisions of Kildare County Council.
Do the right of way laws not come into effect given the period of time people of Newbridge have been using this as an access route prior to the wall being erected?
The final decision also puzzled me –
“The planning officer noted that if the wall was to come down, work would have to be carried out on land that did not belong to Dunnes.”
Surely this would also have been the case when Dunnes erected the wall?
Why is it not possible to make Dunnes cordon off an area in their own car park and demolish the wall back into that (much like what they did when they erected it !)
@Tom Finnerty: Ah the racism card… “Silence insolent Komrad!” What about if she’s right? The Roma are a problem- They do rob stuff and come over here to beg (which you would notice unless you live in a high tower away from all us riff raff of course.)
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