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A HIGH COURT challenge has been brought against An Bord Pleanala’s decision to give supermarket giant Lidl the go-ahead for a €15 million commercial development in Castleknock, Dublin.
Last month, the planning authority granted Lidl Ireland permission to construct a development that will include a supermarket, shop units, a café, a medical centre, and apartments in three separate blocks.
The challenge has been brought by company director Donal Daly, with an address at Egerton Gardens, London, England, who owns a property known as Glenmalure, Castleknock, which adjoins the site Lidl wants to develop.
Daly, represented by Eamon Galligan SC in his action against An Bord Pleanala, seeks an order quashing the decision to grant planning permission to Lidl to build the 5000 square metre mixed-use development.
Lidl had also secured permission to demolish existing buildings on the site.
Daly also seeks a declaration from the court that the decision is invalid, null, void and of no effect.
Galligan said the challenge is being brought on grounds that there was a failure to have regard to the contents of Castleknock Urban Centre Strategy plan, adopted by Fingal County Council when the Bord made its decision in relation to the application.
Counsel said that an inspector appointed by An Bord Pleanala in relation to the proposed development erred in law by concluding that the provisions of the 2008 plan no longer applied to the site at the centre of the proceedings.
Permission to bring the challenge was granted on an ex parte basis by Justice Mary Faherty at today’s vacation sitting of the High Court.
Lidl Ireland, Fingal County Council, local TDs Jack Chambers and Joan Burton, and the Castleknock Residents Action Group are notice parties to the proceedings.
The judge adjourned the matter to October when the new legal term commences.
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Snobs. They wouldn’t moan if it was Marks and Spencer.
@David Byrne: quick rush in and moan about rich people… whatever you do, don’t bother to read the bloody article
@David Byrne: It has nothing to do with it being a Lidl, where they want to build is ludicrous – the village is a bottle neck as it is, it won’t be able to handle the additional traffic…
@David Byrne: did Leo not oppose these jobs in his area.
@Tomás O’Loughlin: Everywhere in the city is a bottleneck these days bar the quays. Lidl on Hanlon’s corner and Aldi going on Brunswick Street. Two more congested areas. Student accommodation seven stories high on Prussia street and even another seven stories applied for in Stoneybatter Village. Madness rules.. Town is dying on its feet with the no cars ruling. But Owen Keegan doesn’t care. So we will probably have even more stories yet to be built in our city.
@David Byrne: I live near the site. It’s about traffic and parking. There is no space. Same objections would be made any large supermarket.
@David Byrne: having tracked this for years and objected many times it is clear planners favour business before residents.
That should resonate with the few making discriminatory comments.
@Tomás O’Loughlin: I’m a resident of Castleknock and live just a couple of hundred meters from the development. I can tell you now the only reason this development is opposed is pure social snobbery and nothing else. The truth is most people who live in Castleknock welcome this development because at long last will bring real competition. The augment being used by those who oppose the development is bogus because the site is so small it will make no real difference in traffic terms. The other factor is that most people within a mile radius will walk to the store.
Too posh for Lidl.
@Paul Flood: too congested for anybody
@Paul Flood: Too posh to push, Too lush to Lidl.
He is entitled to object of course. Absentee landlord days not over yet. Nice new Lidl development in Portmarnock which I visited at the weekend as I drive through.
@lavbeer: bring Lidl on. Just not smack in the middle of a busy junction.
Not on our door step.
Can’t have the unwashed straying in to Castleknock for a chainsaw and some cheap cider. Tut. Tut. Wonder would they object to a Fallon and Byrne opening? Doubt it.
@gerard carey: It’s Castleknock, not bloody Knightsbridge or Kensington in London. It borders Blanchardstown, Cabra and Chapelizod for feck sake.
@gerard carey: The cider in Lidl isn’t cheap. Now Aldi the sell good cheap cider.
@Henry Porter: €2.49 for Bulmers in LIDL. 28 for 24 is Tesco.
@Gary: absolutely, the old castleknock money is few and far between the rest is nouveaux riche wannabes
Why do these retailers who object to ever lidl and aldi who plan a development just spit out and truth tell us all they don’t want to see them because they’ll effect their profits. They’ll come out with some bulls@#t of how it ripping the heart of the town. Giving the impression they care about the fabric of the town, when in effect the only they care their bottom line.
Objected to one in tallaght as well
Some of the comentators here seem to think lidl are building for the good of the community.
@David Grey: will the community not benefit from it ?
@David Grey: Bringing plenty of jobs to the area, that’s not a bad thing for the community, surely?
@Dave Murray: Plenty of jobs? There’s only ever one till open
@Stephen Watson: And who works in the stock room and in the office androids?
@Mick Jordan: The same person who works at the till, and washes the floors.
@Mick Jordan: it’s all or nothing in Lidl. You do the till, bake the bread, clean the toilets, do the office.
@mariana hayes: he’s point is that there’s more than one person working there ..
@mariana hayes: Must be some person to be able to be in several different places at the same time. Are they Godlike perchance?
@Suzie Sunshine: no
The residents can put their shopping in marks and spencer shopping bags, or hire some one to shop for them. Maybe the men can grow beards while the women can wear a burka. Happy shopping folks.
Incoming snob comments
@Stephen Watson: who don’t bother to read who objected!
Portmarnock > Castleknock. Portmarnock recently opened a lidl
@Flip off: so?
It’s alright for the ppl of castleknock to cause traffic congestion in nearby towns while going to do there shopping
Castleknock is on the north side sandwiched between two hellholes
He doesn’t live here and he’s taking this action… I think theres more to this than meets the eye.. maybe he fell out with Lidl Gmbh over a potential deal to buy his site…
me smells Tesco
It seems a fierce injustice that one man who is a multi-millionaire and doesn’t even live in Ireland gets to decide on what many In castleknock want! Why? I wonder?
Just stop this bloody monsense and build the damn thing already. Will prob move to Castleknock and in need of good, honest continental food at fair prices. Fxck that Tesco shiite.
Why because it’s Lidl snobs
Lets not let the facts get in the way of some whinging here and just cry “snobs” instead. Is someone going to throw in snowflakes too?
have your say