GERMAN SUPERMARKET giants Lidl have been rejected planning permission to build a new store on their current site at Bellefield Road. The supermarket chain had previously had a planning application turned down by Wexford County Council and decided to appeal the decision to An Bord Pleanála, however, the supermarket management have now been dealt a bitter blow as their appeal also proved unsuccessful.

One of the reasons cited for the decision is that the Bellefield Road store would detract from the “vitality and viability” of Enniscorthy Town Centre. News of the decision comes in the same week that SuperValu in the Abbey Centre will close its doors for good with the loss of 27 jobs, leaving quite a few people angry that Enniscorthy is not welcoming the investment of the German supermarket chain at Bellefield.

The planning application involved the demolition of the existing Lidl building and the construction of a new state of the art part two-storey store. The application also sought to relocate the access to the site and a pedestrian access point linking the adjoining sports centre, along with 129 car parking spaces.

When listing the reasons for refusal of planning permission, An Bord Pleanála stated that “the proposed development would constitute a significant intensification of retail provision in the area to a degree that would be contrary to the neighbourhood centre zoning objective for the area, would detract from the vitality and viability of Enniscorthy town centre and would be contrary to the provisions of the “Guidelines for Planning Authorities – Retail Planning”.

The decision also stated: “The proposed development would involve the construction of a 70 metre long largely blank facade to Bellefield Road, set back behind car parking and extensive hard paving areas, which is insufficiently provided with landscaping. It is considered that the proposed development would fail to provide an active, well-designed frontage to the street at this location and would not satisfactorily integrate into the street-scape or surroundings.”

Lidl on Bellefield Road.