Rocklands Service Station objects to building of a Lidl supermarket on the Rosslare Road in Wexford

Rocklands Service Station in Wexford is objecting to the building of a new Lidl supermarket at Rocksborough on the Rosslare Road, pointing out that the development will have a negative impact on retail business in the town centre.

Lidl Ireland has lodged an application with Wexford County Council for permission to build a ‘discount foodstore’  with an overall floor space of 2,209 square metres including an off licence on a green field site behind Kerlogue Nursing Home and opposite Kerlogue Manor housing estate.

The application includes the construction of an access road from the Rosslare Road, serving the proposed development and facilitating the future development of adjoining lands along with a pedestrian access, car parking, refrigeration and air conditioning plant and equipment, roof mounted solar panels and an electricity sub-station.

The developers propose to connect a foul sewer to existing sewage infrastructure at nearby Kerlogue in the vicinity of a Protected Structure.

Lidl Ireland describes itself on the application form as “prospective purchasers of the land”.

The planning authority is currently considering the Lidl application and the closing date for the receipt of objections and observations on the proposal was last Friday.

David Bowe of Rocklands Service Station on the Rosslare Road lodged an objection, saying that the proposed site is outside the designated speed limit of Wexford town and clearly not within walking distance of the retail core of Wexford town and it therefore constitutes an “out of town location” as defined by the retail planning guidelines.

“The proposed development will have an unacceptable impact on existing retailers located in Wexford town centre and the vitality and viability of same.”

In the objection which was submitted on his behalf by Wexford planning and design consultant Ian Doyle, Mr Bowe claimed the proposed development is looking to exploit a location closer to the town’s ring road for ease of access rather than being situated in the town core in the interest of commercial advantage, and will will promote unsustainable transport patterns.

“The proposed development is clearly of a scale designed for a significantly larger catchment than that of the southern environs of Wexford”, he submitted, pointing out that a retail impact assessment which accompanies the application is “fundamentally flawed”  in that the test focuses on the southern environs of the town only.

“The proposed development is not of a neighbourhood scale to cater for the surrounding residential area only. The applicant describes the immediate area around the site as ‘en emerging residential area’ and while this may be the case, existing levels of residential development do not exist to justify the site’s edge of town location.”