B&Q opens in Cork, says planning guidelines review 'not enough'

DIY retailer B&Q opened its fourth Irish store today in Mahon Point Retail Park, Cork, its first store outside Dublin.

The new 50,000 square ft store has generated 100 new jobs in Cork. B&Q now employs more than 500 people in Ireland.

Five Cork based companies supply B&Q's Irish and UK stores. They include Quality Plastics, True Temper, Dosco, Dulux Ireland and Glennon Timber.

B&Q plans to open a further six stores in Ireland over the next three years, the size of which will depend on location and local market environment.

Depending on the size of stores opened, this expansion programme will provide an additional 1,000 to 1,600 new jobs, the company said today.

Speaking at the opening of the new store, Gerry Murphy, CEO Kingfisher, the parent company of B&Q said: "We welcome the Government's recent review of the planning guidelines and welcome the principles of the review but it hasn't gone far enough for us in terms of making a difference for what we see as ideal for us and for our customers.

"Our ideal solution would be to have the bigger warehouse stores, such as Liffey Valley, in large markets such as Dublin and Cork and perhaps Galway and Limerick. Even mini warehouses which in the UK have proved to be very successful in mid size towns would just exceed the cap."