Concern grows over Tesco's plans for Carrick filling station

TESCO’S PLANS for a petrol filling station in Carrick-onShannon have been described as “bad news for north east Roscommon”. Now a Fianna Fail county councillor has claimed that the region will have an economic fight on its hands if permission is given for the development.

Already an application lodged with Leitrim County Council by Tesco for a petrol filling station, shop kiosk, car wash and canopy, at its Carrickon-Shannon supermarket site has caused a storm of controversy. Objectors claim that it could have serious consequences for small familyrun businesses and jobs in Carrick-on-Shannon and in north east Roscommon.

Cllr Eugene Murphy has claimed that family-run businesses in Roosky, Elphin, Strokestown and the Boyle area would find it extremely difficult to survive if Tesco got the go-ahead from Leitrim County Council. “I have no desire to become involved in the affairs of another local authority area, but the outcome of this could be very crucial to Northeast Roscommon. There are many family businesses in my part of County Roscommon, and if the Carrickon-Shannon Tesco development gets the green light, they will have to shed jobs and in some cases I believe will have to close their doors. We cannot sacrifice the filling stations and shops remaining in our region so as to build up one or two towns. I also believe that shops and filling stations in the general Carrick-onShannon area will be very vulnerable if this development goes ahead, but I will leave that side of the argument to the various representatives in that region,” he said. While Cllr Murphy did acknowledge that Tesco did give “decent employment” in the region, he warned “further development will be at the expense of other jobs in the area. “I am now making written contact with the Leitrim County Manager to outline my concerns on this issue. This multi-national group admittedly does give decent employment in the general region, but remember, if further development leads to job losses in other parts of the region, then jobs are only being replaced. I accept one cannot always interfere with a free market, but surely we must not allow big powerful groups to rule the roost completely.” he concluded.

BRENDAN MCCARTHY
Roscommon Herald