Lidl refused planning permission for Douglas supermarket

The site of the proposed Lidl development in Douglas, located between Aldi and McDonald's.

ATTEMPTS by German-owned discount store Lidl to open a new supermarket in Douglas have hit a wall for the third time following Cork City Council’s decision to refuse planning permission.

Lidl intends to appeal the refusal to An Bord Pleanála.

In rejecting the proposal, the Council criticised the application for “poor quality of urban design, the limited nature of mixed uses proposed, the lack of streetscape presence onto key streets and the poor quality of the public realm”.

The Council said the development “would seriously injure the visual amenities in the area” and that it was “contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area”, as per a local area development plan.

Conor Nagle, Lidl regional director for Munster, said they were “surprised and disappointed with the refusal for this development in Douglas”.

“We are committed to delivering and investing in Douglas so it would be our intention to lodge an appeal to An Bord Pleanala in due course,” he said.

Mr Nagle previously said that the proposed development would "turn an unused site into one that offers great services to the community". Lidl bought the site of just over one acre unconditionally, unlike a separate site known as Barry's Field, which was sale subject to planning permission. The 

Lidl has experienced a series of setbacks over the years in its efforts to establish a presence in Douglas.

The discount store previously applied for permission to build on the two acre Barry’s Field site, between Carrigaline Road and Churchyard Lane, in the heart of Douglas village.

The land at the time fell under the remit of Cork County Council (pre-boundary extension) who granted permission in 2017, but An Bord Pleanála to overturned it. A second application was lodged with the County Council in 2018, and again permission was granted, but it was again overturned by the planning board. Locals had lodged objections over traffic, parking, and the visual impact on the village.

The latest proposal was for a "landmark" development in Douglas to include a new store, a cafe, eight apartments and a commercial unit on a currently vacant site, which Lidl bought for an undisclosed sum, and which faces onto the roundabout on the Douglas Relief Road (R610). It adjoins the site of the new Aldi store (formerly Douglas Cinemaworld) which opened in June.

Lidl has invested more than €1.7bn in its Irish operations since entering the country in 2000.

Recent Irish grocery market figures from research group Kantar showed Lidl with a 12.9% share of the Irish market; slightly higher than its immediate rival Aldi.