Tesco blocks Lidl plan to rebuild store in Limerick

Tesco has blocked a major new store planned by Lidl in Limerick city. This is the latest planning clash between the two large multiples.

An Bord Pleanála overturned a decision of Limerick City and County Council to grant planning permission to Lidl for an expanded supermarket at the location of its existing store, at Punches Cross.

Lidl has sought permission to demolish its outlet, at the junction of Childers Road and Rosbrien Road, in the south of the city, and an adjacent building, to replace them with a new store, with a floor area of 1,690m².

The German supermarket group said it was not willing to reduce the net retail floor space to 1,002m², as suggested by council planners. That’s the size of its existing store.

The local authority ruled in favour of the application, but limited the size of the new store to 1,250m².

Lidl also appealed the decision to grant planning permission, saying conditions imposed by the council, in limiting the size of the new store and requiring a development contribution of €163,550, made the project unviable.

Lidl accused Tesco, one of its main competitors, of being “a serial objector”, with a record of over 20 appeals. Lidl called on An Bord Pleanála to clarify its rival’s bona fide interests and reasoning, in its objection to the Punches Cross store.

“This appeal is based on commercial considerations only,” Lidl said, further warning a refusal could also threaten the viability of its existing outlet.

Tesco, which has an outlet in the nearby Roxboro Road Shopping Centre, said the size of the proposed development, by Lidl, was excessive for a site zoned as a “local centre” and was inconsistent with retail planning guidelines, which stipulated that anchor stores should be no larger than 400m².