Marks & Spencer plans for Tralee store shelved
The company is expected to rapidly progress its plans for the creation of an 80-job store in Killarney — where the town council has already promised an open arms welcome.
The long-running row in Kerry’s county town had followed a local council decision to refuse planning for an M&S store at Manor West retail park, on the edge of Tralee.
M&S, however, confirmed at the weekend it will open a store next May at Deerpark, Killarney.
The store’s executive for Ireland, Neil Hyslop, said the company had planned on moving into Killarney regardless of what happened in relation to their plans for Tralee.
While expressing disappointment about not getting the go-ahead for Tralee, he said M&S greatly appreciated the amount of public support they received locally.
Last April, Tralee town councillors voted by a majority of nine to three to turn down an M&S application for a material contravention that would allow the retailer to locate at Manor West, a huge out-of-town shopping complex.
Among the main reasons for the councillors’ refusal was the need to protect businesses in Tralee’s town centre that, according to some councillors, were facing increasing competitive pressures from a growing number of shops in Manor West.
A majority of councillors wanted M&S to open in a more central site, such as the Austin Stack Park GAA grounds which has been earmarked for a €200 million retail complex. However, Mr Hyslop was adamant that Manor West was the only Tralee location in which the company was interested.
He said M&S had concerns about traffic infrastructure around the Austin Stack Park location.
Although disappointed by Bord Pleanála’s rejection of the M&S appeal against the Tralee Town Council decision, he said the company was looking forward to opening in Killarney.
Killarney Chamber of Commerce and other businesses in the town had already signalled they would welcome M&S “with open arms”.
In Killarney, the proposed M&S will have a food hall, clothes store, bakery and cafe.
After Tralee Town Council made clear its opposition to the M&S plans for Manor West, which would have provided upwards of 100 jobs, approaches were made to M&S to move to Killarney instead.
At the weekend, Killarney Independent councillor Michael Courtney said M&S would be a bonus for trade in the tourist town.
“The arrival of a top-class name can only boost business in Killarney,” he said.
The M&S row in Tralee became a hot, local issue in the general election, last May, as the council’s opposition to the M&S proposal provoked anger among voters.
Radio Kerry current affairs presenter Deirdre Walsh said the station’s phones were jammed by callers every time the issue was aired during the year.
“The majority of callers always said they wanted M&S in Tralee.
“No other issue, even health, attracted such a massive response from listeners,” she added.
The British retail chain has plans to double its number of shops in Ireland.
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