Aldi c-store plan approved
Print7 July 2009
A planning application by Aldi for a discount foodstore in a “neighbourhood centre” in Dublin’s surburbs has been approved by Dublin City Council. Plans for an Aldi store at East Wall, Dublin 3, with an internal net area of 1,125 sq m have been approved.
Aldi stated in a submission to the Dublin City Council Development Plan 2011 – 2017, that “the definition of discount foodstore should be changed to reflect the more relevant definition as contained in the Retail Strategy, namely that discount foodstores can be up to 2,500 sq m in size,” and “are suitable anchors for neighbourhood centres or stand alone neighbourhood convenience stores.”
However, when ShelfLife enquired if the group intended to adopt a new convenience-store format, Aldi declined to answer.
The Dublin Development Authority supported this application but noted that the store’s location at first floor level and above ground floor parking would be “inconsistent” with policies to achieve “animated streetscapes.” And while several local residents stated the development was “out of character with the local area,” and were concerned about inadequate car parking spaces, the East Wall Residents Association expressed its support for the proposal.
Lidl also made a submission to the draft development plan 2011 – 2017. The group drew attention to variation no. 21 of the 2005 – 2011 plan, which acknowledged the need “to promote the viability of localised neighbourhoods across Dublin city.” It stated that the zoning matrix should therefore “make discount foodstores a ‘permitted in principle’ development in the residential zonings of Z1, Z2 and Z3.”
When contacted, Lidl did not wish to comment. However, Matthias Queck, senior discount retail analyst at Planet Retail told ShelfLife, that Lidl had since dropped the name ‘Lidl Express’ from its c-store format in Edmonton, London, “presumably because it didn’t want to make it too obvious it was attempting to establish a new concept.”
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