Green light for Nenagh foodstore

Planning permission has been granted for a new retail foodstore at Nenagh's Stereame development amid local speculation that international supermarket chain Iceland is intending to open a store in town.

Melcorpo Commercial Property Unlimited has received conditional permission to change the use of Unit 7, which is located between the Woodies and Aldi stores, from the formerly permitted use of a bowling alley to that of convenience retail foodstore. Townscape enhancement works including the partial removal of the existing boundary wall on the Limerick Road side of the site, and implementation of a programme of hard and soft landscaping, is also included in the plan.

Unit 7, which was constructed in 2008, was originally intended as a bowling alley but was never occupied. The application for this new use was submitted on behalf of Melcorpo by planning consultants HRA Planning, which stated that the applicant is the owner of Nenagh Retail Park. In correspondence with Tipperary Co Council, the consultants said the foodstore proposal is “not a speculative development”.

“The store will offer a range of high quality frozen foods and primarily concentrate on the sale of high quality frozen foods by an established frozen food retailer with over 900 outlets in the UK and Europe,” the council was informed. The consultants' report furthermore stated that the foodstore planned at Stereame would be “unique within the town of Nenagh. No other retail format in the town will offer the range or type of goods provided within the proposed development. Whilst similar store formats are currently operating in Clonmel and other towns and cities such as Limerick and Shannon, it is submitted that the proposed development will further contribute to the retail variety in the town of Nenagh by expanding the retail service beyond mainstream retail provision.”

It concluded that the foodstore “would not therefore draw from the town centre or result in adverse effects to its vitality and viability.” The plan is further intended to enhance the Limerick Road approach to the town.

 

HRA Planning declined to comment further on the application. A spokesperson for Iceland had no comment to make on the matter.