New store delivers ‘nightly disruption’ for inner-city residents

Inner-city residents in Cork have reacted angrily to disruptive late-night deliveries to Lidl’s newest Irish store.

The tightly-knit community in Corporation Buildings in the heart of the city said the deliveries to the new outlet in the nearby Cornmarket Centre are making their lives a misery.

Some residents who live in local authority-owned homes have even threatened to hand their keys back to the city until the issue is resolved.

One elderly resident said an articulated truck began delivering to the shop at 1.40am recently, and was still unloading at 4.54am. Another truck followed at 5.45am.

The resident, who suffered a heart attack last year, said the situation is proving very stressful.

It is the second time the residents of this historic area have faced this kind of disruption from late-night deliveries to the Cornmarket complex. They mounted a blockade in 2010 to prevent dawn deliveries to the centre’s TK Maxx outlet. It resulted in the discount clothes retailer changing its delivery regime to minimise disruption.

However, the problem arose again following the opening of the Lidl outlet just over two weeks ago.

Cllr Mick Finn has now asked the city council’s planning department to investigate whether the overnight deliveries are within the terms of planning conditions for the site.

“The potential for this problem to arise was flagged by residents,” Mr Finn said. “They warned us that this was going to happen. The worry is now that if a delivery routine has been established, it will be difficult to change.

“The residents mounted a blockade in 2010 to prevent it, but they don’t want to have to go down that road again.”

He also said problems like this could discourage people from living in the city centre.

“I’m all for jobs and new facilities, but these residents have been ignored before,” he said. “We are trying to get more people to live in the city centre, so these scenarios must be thought through.”

A Lidl spokesperson said they have no record of any complaints in relation to deliveries. Also, she said a condition of planning stated that deliveries can only be made between 9pm and 5am, because trucks have to use a one-way street.

However, she urged anyone with concerns to contact Lidl’s customer service number on 1800-347447.

The 20,000 sq ft store, the retailer’s 140th Irish outlet, has created 30 jobs, and has become the second anchor tenant in the Cornmarket complex, which was developed by Rockfell Investments on the site of the old Guy & Co building on the Coal Quay.