Aldi appeal decision to refuse planning for seventh Mayo store

German discount store Aldi have appealed a decision by Mayo County Council not to grant planning permission for a new store in Swinford.

Last month, Mayo County Council refused planning permission to Aldi to construct a single storey discount foodstore to be located across the road from the existing Tesco supermarket in Swinford.

A number of local people had raised objections to the development to be located on the Castlebar and Kiltimagh Roads with many arguing it was in the wrong location and would be detrimental to the town centre.

In refusing planning permission for the development, Mayo County Council stated that if granted the proposed development would have an adverse impact on the 'vitality, viability and attractiveness of the existing traditional town centre of Swinford', and if permitted would result in 'an over-concentration of retail development, both convenience and comparison in this area of Swinford town'.

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The planners also cited traffic concerns regarding how HGV traffic will safely access and egress the site from the serving public road and that the applicant did not demonstrate how the development promotes pedestrian connectivity with the existing town centre.

Aldi have lodged an appeal against the decision to An Bord Pleanála and if successful, the Swinford store will be the seventh Aldi discount store in Co Mayo with stores already in Castlebar, Ballina, Claremorris, Ballinrobe, Ballyhaunis and Belmullet.

The Swinford development is to comprise a gross floor area of 1,908 square metres with one vehicular entrance from the Castlebar Road and the provision one vehicular and one pedestrian access from the Kiltimagh Road.

It was also to be served by 112 car parking spaces including seven disabled accessible bays, nine family bays, four electric vehicle bays and 18 cycle spaces.

In their application to Mayo County Council, MKO Planning and Environmental Consultancy, acting on behalf of Aldi, argued that of the two supermarkets in Swinford, only Kennedy's Eurospar was located in the ‘traditional core town centre’ and as a consequence there was no over concentration of retail development.

They also argued that Swinford town centre cannot accommodate a modern large-scale convenience retail development without 'the requirement for significant site assembly, demolition and potential impacts on the traditional and established street frontage pattern'.

“Therefore, modern large-scale convenience retail development in Swinford must be accommodated on suitably zoned lands which adjoin the ‘traditional town centre’,” the application stated.