Council turns down planning application for second Aldi supermarket on Cork's Skehard Road

A PROPOSED mixed-use development on the Skehard Road, which included an Aldi supermarket, has been rejected by Cork City Council.

Back in April, Aldi announced that a planning application for a second store on the Skehard Road was to be submitted to Cork City Council with plans to open a 1,337sqm store in 2024.

Aldi's existing Blackrock store, located at Blackrock Hall, opened in 2008 and is one of the busiest of all its stores.

The supermarket giant stated that there would be ample parking facilities provided for customers at the new store, with 86 car parking spaces and 10 bike parking spaces, along with two electric vehicle charging points.

The new Aldi store was to be part of a mixed-use development which also included proposals for 28 residential units and a café.

The proposed development was to be constructed across two three-storey buildings at a site located next to Scally's SuperValu supermarket on the Skehard Road.

The site is currently occupied by a single house which was to be demolished before the two blocks were to be developed.

Block one was to contain the Aldi store and a café at ground floor level and 20 apartments at first and second floor levels and block two was to contain a further eight apartments.

Developers Lyonshall Ltd were to be responsible for the residential units whilst Aldi was to build the commercial element.

Rejection

However, Cork City Council has rejected the proposals.

In its decision, the council stated that the proposed development, by reason of its layout, massing, scale, height and proximity to the southern and eastern boundaries of the site “would be visually obtrusive, result in overshadowing of adjoining properties and, as such, would seriously injure the residential amenities of adjoining properties and be out of character with the area”.

As part of its reasoning, the council also stated that the proposed development site is considered an "out-of-centre site” in accordance with the order of priority for the location of retail developments as set out in a section of the City Development Plan 2015-2021.

“In this regard only in exceptional circumstances can such sites be considered, where it is demonstrated that no other sites or potential sites including vacant units are available and viable.

“It is noted that there is a nearby, underutilised, Neighbourhood Centre at Avenue de Rennes where there is currently no retail provision available,” the council added.