Locals fear proposed Castleknock Lidl could cause ‘traffic chaos’
Councillor says local opposition is not generated by snobbery but that the proposed development would cause "traffic chaos to ensue"
Print20 January 2017
Despite planning permission being granted for a Lidl in Castleknock, Dublin in September of last year, opposition appears to be mounting against the supermarket, The Irish Times reports.
The plans for the new Lidl include a three-storey office development with an underground car park, overlooking Castleknock National School.
An oral hearing about the proposed development is now expected to be held in the coming months.
Previously, back in 2014, Fingal County Council denied permission for the same development, on the grounds that it was judged to be inconsistent with the Castleknock Urban Centre Strategy.
Minister for Social Protection and TD for Dublin West, Leo Varadkar has also opposed the development in the past. He said he was “disappointed” by Fingal County Council’s latest decision, noting there was “strong opposition among the local community to this development” due to traffic concerns.
According to local Green Party councillor Roderic O’Gorman: “The traffic generated by the development is going to cause traffic chaos to ensue in Castleknock.” He added that residents’ opposition was not generated by snobbery and that any supermarket located on that site “wouldn’t be appropriate – be it SuperValu,Dunnes or Tesco.
“We are currently voting on the new development plan and that will kick in at the end of March,” O’Gorman added. “New planning rules will apply to this site after March 2017. Those rules may make it less attractive for Lidl to set up on that particular site.”
O’Gorman believes a residential development would be preferable “due to the demand for housing in Dublin 15”.
A spokeswoman for Lidl said the proposed store had been designed to “the highest standards which complements the area and provides suitable amenities for the local community”.
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