READ: ‘It makes a mockery’: Disappointment in Douglas over overturning of Lidl decision (echolive.ie)

Independent Cllr Kieran McCarthy has expressed his disappointment of the overturning of Cork City Council’s refusal to grant Lidl planning permission for a new store on the Douglas Relief Road. The overturning came through an appeal to An Bord Pleanala by the developer Lidl Ireland.

Cllr McCarthy noted: “It is an uphill battle to try and bring the concept of sustainability to Douglas especially in the shopping centre areas. Personally, I find such areas devoid of proper or decent public realm space; the public realm is completely hindered by the prominence of car space. Such is the siloised thinking over the years, there isn’t even a pedestrian corridor connecting the centres together”.

Cllr McCarthy continued; “Cork City Council’s planning department in its refusal report specifically mentioned the failure to address the overall master planning set out for the area. It also commented that the design and layout would result in a development that does not provide a high quality active streetscape frontage. Integration in its setbacks into the design of the development and public realm were not addressed in the application. For these reasons and others Cork City planning unit refused permission”.  

“Such refusal reasons, I would deem as straight forward and reasonable. If the plan is not good enough for the local area and given what I would deem solid refusal reasons, I have a huge issue with it being overturned at national level by An Bord Pleanala. It makes a mockery of Cork City Council’s championing of sustainability concepts, plus threatens many aspects in the city’s outgoing development plan and the emerging city development plan. The future of areas such as Douglas need national support more so than the overturning of local decisions”, concluded Cllr McCarthy.