Mr Price confirms Tipperary store closure after long-running planning dispute
A Tipperary store that has been at the centre of a planning battle with the county council has informed staff and customers that they are planning on closing their doors next month.
Mr Price has confirmed to the Irish Independent that its Tipperary town outlet will close on October 15, with the loss of 14 jobs.
In a statement to the Irish Independent, a representative from Mr Price said that they are “very disappointed” in the decision to close their doors.
“The site was granted permission as a retail park almost 20 years ago. However, its planning conditions restrict much of the retailing to ‘bulky goods’, a concept developed when customers were expected to drive to retail parks to collect larger purchases,” the statement said.
“Retail has changed dramatically since then. Online shopping and home delivery have fundamentally changed how bulky goods are purchased,” the company added.
It’s understood that 14 jobs will be lost when the outlet closes its doors.
“Our greatest disappointment is for our amazing Tipperary team, who have stood by us throughout. We sincerely thank them for their commitment and dedication, and we are truly sorry that we have been unable to protect their jobs at this location”.
The company added that the staff of the outlet will be offered new roles in the retailer’s other stores across Tipperary, and that they hope to welcome them back to Tipperary town if they manage to address the planning issues.
Mr Price have said that they plan to continue working with stakeholders to secure the rezoning of the entire retail park to create a vibrant shopping area in the town.
The retail park has been largely empty since its construction 20 years ago, with the Mr Price outlet the only current tenant there.
Previous planning documents showed that Corajio, the company behind Mr Price bought the entire retail park for around €1.5million.
“We intend to work constructively with all stakeholders to seek the appropriate rezoning of the wider retail park, allowing it to attract a vibrant mix of national retailers and become a genuine shopping destination bringing more people into Tipperary town,” the company said.
Adding that they hope to reopen an outlet in the town in time, the company said that they “remain committed to Tipperary town”.
Earlier this year, the company said that Mr Price would be willing to amend the types of goods they sell in their Tipperary town store in order to comply with planning regulations.
However, council planners said that despite the assertion of Mr Price, concerns remained about the types of goods that would be sold at the outlet.
“I am not satisfied, noting the items to be sold in the unit as listed by the applicant, that the intended use falls within the definition of bulky goods,” they said.