Lidl granted permission for Dunboyne store
Meath County Council has granted planning permission to Lidl for a supermarket and cafe unit in the heart of Dunboyne village.
The plans drew huge opposition locally with some 263 submissions made on the planning application. In particular, residents were concerned over changes being proposed to the village green area to facilitate the development, including the removal of parking spaces.
Meath County Council has confirmed that planning permission has been granted but the planner's report is not yet available on the online planning system.
The planned development by Lidl includes a single storey discount foodstore with a gross floor area of 2,220sqm and net sales area of 1,409swm with an ancillary off licence area together with parking for 119 cars.
A cafe retail unit of 165sqm adjacent to a proposed plaza area is planned for the existing car park to the west of the church. The entrance to the development will be approximately in the same location as the existing entrance to the car park.
The previously church-owned site was sold to Lidl by St Finian's Diocesan Trust and the planning application includes a car park with 53 spaces to serve St Peter and Paul's Church which would be connected to the grounds of the church.
Traffic management changes form part of the proposal and include a right turning lane on Main Street, a reduction in car parking spaces on the north side of the green and the removal of parking spaces on the east side.
The plans include a four-arm staggered signalised junction with controlled pedestrian crossings at Main Street to the south east of the green and the removal of parking spaces and kerb build outs to facilitate improved public realm space and achieve required forward visibility of the traffic signals and crossing points.
On street parking spaces removed from around the green area and Main Street are to be accommodated in two new parking areas to the east of the cafe unit and south of the foodstore.
While people are generally supportive of a Lidl supermarket in the Dunboyne, widespread concerns were expressed about what changes will be made to the village centre particularly the village green area, including the removal of a number of parking bays and the installation of traffic lights.
Both local councillors Fine Gael's Maria Murphy and Fianna Fáil's Damien O'Reilly were strongly opposed to the plans and were among the several hundred people to lodge an objection.
Reacting to the decison to grant permssion, Cllr O'Reily said: "I’m in shock with the decision and will be appealing to An Bord Pleanála like many more concerned residents of Dunboyne."
Lidl says the development will bring up to €12 million in local investment to the community, as well as creating 30 new jobs at the store and 100 during construction and development stages.