Boyle Town Team urges person appealing planned Aldi development to withdraw appeal
Aldi was granted planning permission for the Boyle development in January.
A call has been made this afternoon to the person who has appealed the planning permission granted to German superstore Aldi for Boyle to consider withdrawing the appeal.
The appeal was lodged on Monday with An Coimisiún Pleanála against the permission granted by Roscommon County Council in January for a new Aldi store at St. Patrick Street, Boyle. An Coimisiún Pleanála is due to make a decision by June 22nd.
In an Open Letter this afternoon on behalf of Boyle Town Team chairman Ciaran Sheerin said that they “fully respect an individual’s right to object as this is the process in place” and they are entitled to exercise their right to do same.
However, the group asked the individual, with an address in County Offaly, “to please reflect on your decision, how this impacts our collective community and finally to please consider withdrawing your appeal. To all the people and businesses of Boyle we ask you to throw your full weight behind the project and leverage your connections to respectfully encourage the withdrawal of this appeal,” said Mr Sheerin.
“We were deeply disappointed to hear about the appeal, and we have concerns over this from a town development perspective.
“At best this will delay the progress of a most welcome development or at worst lead to this project not proceeding.
“In the case of Aldi, the appellant is based almost 100km’s away from Boyle with no physical business assets or community involvement (in Boyle) known to the Town Team. Currently our planning process allows submissions and objections from any location nationally. We see this as an opportunity for improvement within the overall planning framework. We do appreciate it’s not as simple as banning out of county applications and the law is this way for many valid reasons. Nonetheless its constraints have resulted in the situation we are in,” the Town Team noted.
“The appeal unfortunately puts the below at risk: competition in the retail space in a town with a growing population; five housing units in a severe housing shortage; up to 30 permanent positions; construction phase employment and associated increases in local business; 96 badly needed town centre car parking spaces; 10 cycle parking spaces and shelter; the much-needed revitalisation of a derelict street row; delays to much needed Public Realm works in St Patrick Street; delays to undergrounding of powerlines. (on St. Patrick Street); 1000s of government, business and volunteer hours already spent on this project; reputational damage- Most of the business community, local government, national government and volunteers dedicate their time to making Boyle an attractive location to invest, visit and live.
“The delay, along with the risk it poses to the project as a whole, is profoundly disappointing for the patient residents and businesses of St Patrick Street, for the people of Boyle who aspire to a vibrant and prosperous town, and for the project promoters, volunteers, and local authorities who work tirelessly to showcase Boyle as a place that is open for business,” said Mr Sheerin.
“We thank the planning unit of Roscommon County Council for its work throughout the planning process and have every confidence that An Coimisiún Pleanála will diligently complete its work. We hope for a positive outcome for this project and the development of Boyle.
“The Town Team are now more energised than ever in the goal of realising the continued and future development of Boyle,” concluded Mr Sheerin.
