Tesco appeal halts Lidl expansion plan in Limerick

TESCO Ireland has blocked a major new store planned by Lidl in Limerick city.

The German discount retailer was seeking to expand at Punch’s Cross.

It wanted to demolish its current outlet at the junction of Childers Road and Rosbrien Road on the southside, as well as the former Chadwicks building.

In their place, a new store would be build, measuring some 1,690 square metres.

While Limerick City and County Council gave the multi-million euro plans the green light – on the condition that the net size of the new store was cut to 1,250 square metres – An Bord Pleanala has overturned this decision.

Tesco, one of the store’s main competitors, appealed against the local authority’s decision, as did Lidl.

Lidl bosses stated that limiting the retail floor space would make its changes unviable, as all it did was match the size of its existing outlet.

The firm had planned to create 30 new jobs as part of a €4m investment.

Lidl accused Tesco of being “a serial objector” with a record of over 20 planning appeals.

Tesco, which has an outlet in the nearby Roxboro Road shopping centre, said the size of the proposed development was excessive for a site zoned as a ‘local centre’.