UK retail giant Tesco is to be refused planning permission to build a store at the edge of Ballyclare in Northern Ireland.
The Planning Service for Northern Ireland told just-food today (24 June) that it recommended the application for the store be refused.
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“The Environment Minister is the final decision taker on Article 31 applications and he has agreed with the recommendation to refuse planning permission. The Minister has informed MLAs that a Notice of Opinion to refuse will be issued shortly,” a Department of Environment spokesperson said.
The refusal is a second blow to Tesco’s ambitions in Northern Ireland in the last six months after proposals to build a store close to Banbridge were also blocked.
The Northern Ireland Independent Retail Trade Association and Ballyclare Chamber of Trade have both welcomed the decision by DOE Planning Service to reject the proposed out of town store.
Glyn Roberts, NIIRTA chief executive and Niall McConkey, president of Ballyclare Chamber, in a joint statement said: “This is the right decision by the DOE Minister as if this store had been granted planning permission it would have resulted in significant loss of trade for Ballyclare Town Centre and a net loss of jobs. Small traders in Ballyclare Town Centre could not have competed on a fair basis with such a large out of town supermarket and would have faced closure.”
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By GlobalDataThey added: “Both our organisations opposed this application, not because we are in anyway anti-Tesco, but because we are anti out-of-town development. The place for these types of store is in our town centres where they add to overall retail offer of a town centre.”
Tesco didn’t return comment when contacted by just-food.
