Tesco hopes to expand Coonagh Cross store

TESCO Ireland is seeking planning permission to expand its store at Coonagh Cross.

The supermarket giant has announced its intention to extend the north-eastern side of the store to provide a home shopping facility, as well as four loading bays and other access points.

If approved, the facility is expected to faciliate the supermarket chain’s online shopping facility, as well as a diversification in its product offering.

Tesco currently does not operate a home shopping service from its Coonagh Cross store and the plans are believed to be necessary because of an upsurge in the number of people using home shopping services, as opposed to coming in store, which remains open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

A handful of jobs will be created if Limerick City Council gives the proposal the green light.

The planning application comes just weeks after Tesco Ireland opened a petrol station in Coonagh Cross - where it remains the only tenant.

The plan was opposed by numerous petrol retailers across the northside, who feared that the British supermarket chain might use gas as a loss leader and force them out of business.