US-based Sears Property developments is to appeal to An Bord Pleanala against the decision of Louth County Council refusing it planning permission for a 200,000 sq. ft factory outlet retail complex north of Dundalk.
Members of Louth County Council decided by 16 votes to seven to turn down the planning permission. They judged it would constitute a contravention of the county development plan as entry and exit points to the site would cause an additional traffic hazard on a regional road (N1).
John Casey of Urban & Rural Planning Associates (URPA) in Belfast, said the Sears appeal will be based on environmental and retail impact statements prepared for their original application.
"The EIS demonstrates there will be no detrimental effects traffic-wise and the RIS shows the development will attract business from Dublin and Belfast and not the local area. This development will act like a tourist attraction for Dundalk," he said.
The development would have an end value of around £40 million sterling and include 100 retail units and three restaurants. It is planned for a strategically important 28-acre site beside the N1 and Ballymascanlon roundabout about two miles north of Dundalk.
Another application for a similar retail village is to come before Louth County Council shortly and this development also requires a contravention of the county development plan to proceed.
Situated off the Dunleer bypass, the proposed Woodland Junction Design Village is a £30 million 180,000 sq. ft development with 80 retail units, a hotel, eight-screen multiplex cinema and food court.
The prime mover behind this plan is Donal Kinsella, who owns The Grove pub in nearby Dunleer. He acquired the 55-acre site in 1990 for £500,000 and says "we will appeal and go through all the channels to get it through" should the council not look favourably on his proposal.
One source said: "If it were the UK, they'd probably let the two developments go ahead side-by-side and compete with one another. But it is more likely that only one of these developments will be given the green light."
Both the above sites in Louth are around 50 miles from Belfast and Dublin. Their promoters are confident they will attract more trade to the region rather than hoover up huge amounts of local business. However, local opposition is believed to be strong.
The development of factory outlet shopping has been one of the fastest areas of retail growth in the UK and US recently. This concept has mass appeal as it offers large discounts on end-of-line and out-of-season goods.
Factory outlet complexes are slowly catching on in Ireland. Green Property is building one in Killarney due to open in June.
Kildare County Council recently rezoned a 10-acre site near Kill to allow a factory outlet complex. It is currently going through the appeals process but the developers are confident work should begin early next year. The proposal is for 45 retail outlets with a total of 86,000 sq. ft. It is estimated the Kill project will attract 1.3 million visitors a year and employ 400 people.
