Fresh planning bid in Tipperary to keep discount store open
The owners of the Mr Price outlet in Tipperary Town has launched a fresh bid to remain open, submitting new plans to address long-running planning enforcement issues that could put up to 22 jobs at risk.
The outlet in Tipperary town has been embroiled in a planning dispute with Tipperary County Council and An Coimisiún Pleanála for a number of years, being refused planning permission to retain their outlet on numerous occasions.
Now, Corajio, trading as Mr Price has applied to Tipperary County Council seeking to expand the outlet in the Tipperary Town Retail Park, as well as restricting the types of goods that can be sold there.
The company is looking for retention planning permission to keep units one and two amalgamated, as well as seeking permission to amalgamate unit three, to create a larger store, allowing the company to sell more bulky goods, such as furniture and DIY materials.
The company is also seeking permission to amalgamate units seven and eight in an attempt to attract another business to the park, which has been mostly empty since its construction nearly 20 years ago.
A retail planning statement, submitted to the council, says that Mr Price are willing to amend the types of goods they sell in their Tipperary town store to comply with planning regulations.
"A decision has been reached to increase the current Mr Price store and to trade bulky/comparison goods only from this location.
"No traditional convenience retailing will occur on-site i.e. the store will contain no confectionery, no food, no non-durable cleaning products etc.,” the statement said.
The move is aimed at bringing the store into compliance with planning regulations and will mean that Mr Price will no longer sell convenience items, including food and drinks.
The plans to amalgamate units seven and eight in the retail park are in the hopes that it would attract new businesses to set up in the retail park.
"By amalgamating units seven and eight it offers an interested party the chance to see the unit permitted before proceeding to lease stage.
"Mr Price is reasonably satisfied that by showing commitment to the retail park in the long-term and by addressing the enforcement issues on site, other interested retail warehousing companies who have previously shown interest will also reconsider leasing the remaining single-unit retail warehouses,” the retail statement said.
Planning permission for the store has been refused on multiple occasions by Tipperary County Council and An Coimisiún Pleanála.
Planners have cited reasons including the high commercial vacancy rate in Tipperary town, as well as the fact that the retail park is zoned for ‘light industrial’ use under the Tipperary town development plan, not retail use.
However, Mr Price have said that there are no sites available in the town centre that are big enough for their offering, and that the development plan for the town expired in 2013, with no new plan published since.
The new retail planning statement says that “the proposed large-format warehouse format is not readily accommodated within town centre sites due to unit size, servicing requirements and car-based customer patterns.”
Tipperary County Council is due to decide on the application by April 19, in a decision that could determine the future of the store and the 22 jobs it supports.