“SIGN the Lidl petition and bring jobs to Kanturk,” urged Tom O’Sullivan of the local community council at Tuesday night’s packed Tesco and Lidl meeting in the Edel Quinn Hall.
Paul Flemming of Lidl told the 300 strong crowd that the company had lodged a fresh planning application last Friday and urged the people of Kanturk to write to Cork County Council (CCC) in support of it. “We need signatures and we need your support to push this through,” said Mr Flemming, who was warmly welcomed from the floor.
Tesco’s original application was shot-down by An Bord Pleanála in September, which stated in their furnished report that the proposed development at Lower Bluepool was located on an out-of-centre site, approximately 600 metres from Kanturk town centre. It also cited the development contravenes with the zoning provision of the Development Plan. It also stated the development would result in conflicting traffic movements and endanger public life.
Cllr Patrick Buckley (FG) said if CCC had known in 2003 that Tesco were interested in Kanturk then the land could have been zoned for that purpose. “It’s just amazing to think that one person could throw the experience of town planners, engineers and countless years of people’s experience out the window,” said Cllr Buckley.
Mary Crowley, liaison officer with Kanturk Community Council, made reference to a published article in a Sunday paper which made reference to RGDATA’s (the lobby group of small grocers) to CCC, negative observation to the Tesco development in Kanturk which was signed by the regional sales director of Musgraves, Mr Ken Murray, which, in effect, is the opposition rival of the UK giant superstore.
However, once the error became apparent, said Ms Crowley, a fax was sent by a local SuperValu store to the CCC planning office requesting the name and address be changed to Tara Buckley, who is the head of RGDATA. In the article, she said Dermot Jewell of the Consumer Association of Ireland called on RGDATA to outline its true relationship with the giant wholesaler, Musgraves.
Ms Crowley said while RGDATA objected to Tesco’s, the group which, she said, supports the small shop, has “never once objected to a SuperValu.”
The Tesco development had received two objections\observations; Kanturk Chamber of Commerce and Herrity International via Rowan Hughes and
Associates; during the meeting the chamber came in for strong criticism from the floor.
One man said the membership the chamber were not speaking for “all of the business community in the town.” Cllr Marion Murphy (FG) said a “quiet word should be had with Kanturk Chamber of Commerce to stop the nonsense”.
Michael Sullivan of Tesco said they were in the process of trawling through the An Bord Pleanála report. While progress was being made, he said it was slow.
John Cott of Kanturk Mart told the meeting that it would be for sale in the near future. He said the mart are in the process of buying another site and once that has been sealed, it will be for sale.
However, Michael Sullivan said the mart site is far too large for them and access would be a problem. Cllr Buckley also said 46% of people in Kanturk shop outside the area with many going to Tesco and Lidl. He asked for those who placed objections and negative observations to “see sense at this stage.”
The meeting heard that a staggering €15 million is “leaking out of Kanturk” and one man claimed if 80 jobs came to Kanturk it would bring €1.5 million back into the town.
Deputy Michael Moynihan (FF) and Deputy Gerard Murphy (FG) as well as Minister Batt O’Keeffe were also in attendance. Deputy Moynihan said the town needs choice to bring it back as the retail capital of Duhallow. Deputy Murphy said An Bord Pleanála are supposed to be an independent group who are, in turn, he said governing themselves.
Minister O’Keeffe said, from speaking with the traders, they want both developments to go on.
Maria Herlihy
© The Corkman
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