Election candidates in M&S U-turn

TWO candidates are preparing to do a U-turn on a retail store controversy which has become an emerging election issue in north Kerry.

A Church of Ireland rector has joined in a public backlash against a town council decision not to allow Marks and Spencer (M&S) open an out-of-town store in Tralee.

Canon Robert Warren said Tralee should have been honoured to have been selected by M&S for a new store.

Local councillors had lost his confidence, Canon Warren told parishioners.

Referring to the fact two are General Election candidates — Labour’s Terry O’Brien and FF mayor Norma Foley, the canon said: “If they can be so wide of the mark in a local issue, the thought of them bringing the same blinkered thinking to national issues is too scary.”

Mr O’Brien yesterday admitted he was being criticised on his canvas, over the M&S decision.

He has called for a special meeting of the town council to “revisit” the issue. “In view of the lack of response of traders in the town, the statement from the Tralee Chamber of Commerce that our town has missed an opportunity and the overwhelming demands of householders in the area, I believe that a special meeting of the town council to discuss this issue further would be beneficial at this stage,” he said.

Mr O’Brien said he was not opposed to M&S coming to Tralee but wanted the retail giant in the town centre rather than in Manor West Retail Park.

Councillors are in favour of M&S opening a €6m store, projected to create 100 jobs, in a planned €100m retail park at Austin Stack Park, close to the town centre.

However, M&S management are insisting that Manor is the only Tralee location in which they are interested.

If the retail store does not get approval for Manor, M&S said it would “seek to accommodate the needs of Tralee’s M&S customers in more regional scale stores planned in both Cork and Limerick.”

But Mr Foley yesterday claimed she had brokered a new agreement with M&S which she was prepared to bring to the council.

Under that agreement, M&S would open a full store at Manor and would also have a food store in the town centre, she said.