Killilea defends D4 Stores

D4 Stores owner Gayle Killilea says her new venture is a convenience store and not a discounter

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Gayle Killilea, businesswoman and wife of developer Sean Dunne, has defended her new retail venture against accusations it has contravened planning laws, on the grounds that it is a convenience store, not a supermarket.

Shortly after the retail outlet at D4 Hotels Ballsbridge Inn and Towers opened its doors last month it received a warning letter from Dublin City Council. It stated the supermarket did not fall within the planning permission for the site and enforcement proceedings could follow. To meet planning regulations, Killilea would have to apply for a “change of use” permission to change the hotel to a supermarket. However, as the site is currently zoned Z1 Residential, it is unlikely permission would be granted as this allows for a smaller local shop but not a supermarket.

Killilea responded in a media statement that she believed the c-store, which involved no new entrance or “interference with the façade of the existing structure” was “fully compliant” with planning laws. “D4 Stores is a convenience store not a supermarket, it is primarily ancillary to the hotel and for the use of over 1,000 customers who use the hotels on a daily basis.”

“Permissible uses under the Z1 zoning include a neighbourhood shop,” she said.

Confusion arose following an earlier interview with The Sunday Independent, in which the paper described the outlet as a “new low-cost supermarket,” ideal for “ladies who used to lunch, but now prefer to Lidl.”

Killea subsequently said of the store, which is supplied by the Barry Group, “Neither is it a discount outlet, but we do offer a good proportion of value for money and discount products in store. We are proud to be buying Irish from Irish suppliers.”

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