DRAFT GUIDELINES that would allow for bigger hypermarkets in Dublin and other major Irish cities will cost jobs and destroy town centres across the State, environmental and heritage group An Taisce has said.
Earlier this month Minster for the Environment Phil Hogan proposed new planning guidelines that would lift the limit on the size of retail premises.
The changes, announced as part of the budget, were mandated by the EU-IMF troika last year.
Mr Hogan said the guidelines would be carefully targeted and measures would be implemented to protect smaller retailers.
However, An Taisce said yesterday the changes could be devastating for local communities.
The group said research had shown 1.4 jobs were lost in town centres for every new job created in out-of-town megastores.
“Because of their failure to engage with local suppliers and recirculate money back into local economies, each new out-of-town megastore results in a net loss of 270 full-time positions, according to research undertaken in the US,” An Taisce said.
“We have no reason to believe the situation is any different in Ireland.
“Indeed, Forfás, in its report to the Minister on the retail planning guidelines, could only make guestimates because of what it called ‘a lack of timely and detailed data’,” it said.
An Taisce said, “Mega-retailing in Dundrum has destroyed shopping in Dún Laoghaire, while edge-of-town shopping has also put Waterford and Limerick city centres in jeopardy.”
It said if the proposals became law, Mr Hogan would be in danger of becoming “the person that opens up a coffin for town and city centres” and said he would be “remembered for causing further dereliction along main streets”.
An Taisce called for a simple two-pronged strategy to stem the erosion of town centres.
It has called for the introduction of a hypermarket tax.
It said there should be a 15 per cent surcharge on the rates bill of the largest retail complexes, with the proceeds used to finance rates relief for small business, the use of empty shops for noncommercial purposes and for public transport.
It also believes the Minister should introduce an out-of-town retail parking levy, which would see 20 to 25 cent collected for every two or three hours of parking at major retail outlets, which currently have free parking.
“The charge is not prohibitive, and it does provide much-needed revenue for public transport alternatives so that we can wean ourselves off our over-reliance on imported oil in the medium to long term,” An Taisce said.
