Objections to Penneys Planning Permission for New Naas store

Gregsor

Here is a bit of a read,mostly about the Penneys proposal for the old Superquinn site,taken from the Leinster Leader 6 Oct.






Naas Shopping Centre developer objects to plan for new Naas Penneys store

Published Date: 06 October 2010
By Paul O'Meara
The developer of the stalled Naas Shopping Centre has objected to the planned construction of a new three-storey Penneys store in the centre of the town.
Liam O'Farrell, a director of the company which built the Naas Shopping Centre (NSC), has lodged an objection with An Bord Pleanala against the Penneys proposal.

Naas Town Council recently approved the plan by Primark, which runs the Penneys operaADVERTISEMENT

tions, to redevelop the Superquinn site (Superquinn have a separate plan to move to the site of the former vocational school at Newbridge Road).

It envisages a three-storey retail developoment of 11,259 square metres and necessitates the demolition of the existing supermarket.

The Naas Town Council decision is now the subject of an An Bord Pleanala appeal and a final decision is not likely to be made before next February.

Naas Shopping Centre developer Liam O'Farrell

Mr. O'Farrell is a director of the Marshalsea Property Company and it is understood his objection relates to the absence of adequate car parking spaces. Ironically the multi-million euro NSC development has capacity to provide over 700 spaces.

The Leader understands that Marshalsea is contending that not only does the Penneys planning decision not provide for enough car parking spaces, but the levies charged by Naas Town Council are inadequate.

Marshalsea believes the local authority has imposed more stringent conditions relating to car parking when processing previous planning applications for retail development.

Sallins businessman Joseph Kirwan also opposes the application and his objection to the council suggested the Penneys plan might be "used as a lever to influence the planning authority's decision in relation to the proposed relocation of Superquinn to the former VEC lands (the school site) on Limerick Road."

Mr. Kirwan told the Leader yesterday (Tuesday) that in Newbridge there is parking available adjacent to most businesses but there is a lack of space in Naas.

"The parking situation in Naas is a joke and everybody using the town knows this," said Mr. Kirwan. He also pointed out that ample parking is available in the yet to be opened shopping centre.

Another objector, Michael Murphy, also said there are insufficient parking places. He noted the application did not propose parking facilities on the site and claimed that a financial levy would allow for only 88 spaces when the town council's own development plan requires many more.

The Leader understands Penneys have received a demand for levies totalling E2.8m. including parking levies of E1.9m.

DWCommuter

Gregsor wrote: »

Here is a bit of a read,mostly about the Penneys proposal for the old Superquinn site,taken from the Leinster Leader 6 Oct.






Naas Shopping Centre developer objects to plan for new Naas Penneys store

Published Date: 06 October 2010
By Paul O'Meara
The developer of the stalled Naas Shopping Centre has objected to the planned construction of a new three-storey Penneys store in the centre of the town.
Liam O'Farrell, a director of the company which built the Naas Shopping Centre (NSC), has lodged an objection with An Bord Pleanala against the Penneys proposal.

Naas Town Council recently approved the plan by Primark, which runs the Penneys operaADVERTISEMENT

tions, to redevelop the Superquinn site (Superquinn have a separate plan to move to the site of the former vocational school at Newbridge Road).

It envisages a three-storey retail developoment of 11,259 square metres and necessitates the demolition of the existing supermarket.

The Naas Town Council decision is now the subject of an An Bord Pleanala appeal and a final decision is not likely to be made before next February.

Naas Shopping Centre developer Liam O'Farrell

Mr. O'Farrell is a director of the Marshalsea Property Company and it is understood his objection relates to the absence of adequate car parking spaces. Ironically the multi-million euro NSC development has capacity to provide over 700 spaces.

The Leader understands that Marshalsea is contending that not only does the Penneys planning decision not provide for enough car parking spaces, but the levies charged by Naas Town Council are inadequate.

Marshalsea believes the local authority has imposed more stringent conditions relating to car parking when processing previous planning applications for retail development.

Sallins businessman Joseph Kirwan also opposes the application and his objection to the council suggested the Penneys plan might be "used as a lever to influence the planning authority's decision in relation to the proposed relocation of Superquinn to the former VEC lands (the school site) on Limerick Road."

Mr. Kirwan told the Leader yesterday (Tuesday) that in Newbridge there is parking available adjacent to most businesses but there is a lack of space in Naas.

"The parking situation in Naas is a joke and everybody using the town knows this," said Mr. Kirwan. He also pointed out that ample parking is available in the yet to be opened shopping centre.

Another objector, Michael Murphy, also said there are insufficient parking places. He noted the application did not propose parking facilities on the site and claimed that a financial levy would allow for only 88 spaces when the town council's own development plan requires many more.

The Leader understands Penneys have received a demand for levies totalling E2.8m. including parking levies of E1.9m.

Its all just sour grapes really.

All three objectors in that article have agendas that are personal rather than for the greater good of Naas.

The interesting aspect of all this is why the unopened/unfinished NSC didn't have both Tescos and Pennys as anchor tenants in the first place. That could of at least got it opened to some degree.

Naas continues to be a commercially hilarious town that is devoid of any sensible focus. It appears to be a town with bad governance. One that is shrouded in ignorance of the outside world. It remains in the dark ages, in terms of a shopping experience. But I do understand that commercial entities like Tescos, Pennys and Superquinn run along to their own particular interests. However a decent Town Council would have coordinated a plan that forced developers to accomodate the relocation of existing stores in a manner that focused on a sustainable and user friendly Central Shopping district. But we are left with a dispersed, car dependent and unfinished effort, that only serves to cause traffic congestion and further dilute the shopping experience and ultimately compromise the town centre even further.

One has to ask the question. Who in their right mind thought it was sensible to green light a massive centre like NSC while the three existing national stores already in the town (Pennys, Tescos and Superquinn) were planning totally seperate developments?

Its bonkers in a small town like Naas and benchmarked against best practice, its beyond bonkers. But that sums up Naas Town Council. You can change its name from UDC, but you will never change its mentality.

"Naas. A nice place to Shop Live. Shop elsewhere."

baztard

The shopping centre was meant to have Dunnes as its anchor tenant. So if it had of been built successfully we would have had an extra large super market in the town. So the town council were right to go the path that they did in that regard (ie. not forcing tesco or superquinn into it).

One of the planning objectors, Liam O'Farrell, seems like a right miserable kunt. He's the developer responsible for the unfinished shopping centre.

Speaking of car park spaces, does anyone know what state the car park in the new shopping centre is? Would it be possible to open it up, or to force the shopping centre to open it?

djimi

Theres a multistory car park a couple of minutes walk away from Superquinn that is usually at least half/two-thirds empty. What are they on about lack of parking?

God forbid someone might try and develop something like this to boost commerce in Naas... :rolleyes:

monroebaby

Way to think ahead! The council is a joke, is it not time to throw away the brown envelopes lads? Clearly, all the objections come with a hidden agenda. A Penney's store in the main street would be such a boost for the town, creating more jobs and more footfall around the other shops in the vicinity. This is a store that draws people in because its known for being cheap and cheerful, lord knows we need it. Objecting over a lack of car parking spaces is ridiculous, since, as was mentioned by a previous poster, there's a multi-storey car park just down the road! Its half empty most of the time because Naas just doesn't cut it for shoppers anymore. One need only look to Newbridge to see how invaluable the development of a central shopping district can be. That could have been us!

DWCommuter

monroebaby wrote: »

Way to think ahead! The council is a joke, is it not time to throw away the brown envelopes lads? Clearly, all the objections come with a hidden agenda. A Penney's store in the main street would be such a boost for the town, creating more jobs and more footfall around the other shops in the vicinity. This is a store that draws people in because its known for being cheap and cheerful, lord knows we need it. Objecting over a lack of car parking spaces is ridiculous, since, as was mentioned by a previous poster, there's a multi-storey car park just down the road! Its half empty most of the time because Naas just doesn't cut it for shoppers anymore. One need only look to Newbridge to see how invaluable the development of a central shopping district can be. That could have been us!

It should have been us alright. Im in Naas 22 years and Ive witnessed all the shambolic behaviour from Naas Town Council/UDC. Acre after acre was zoned for housing, while the commercial aspects needed to service these estates was neglected. Only Naas Town Council could leave a massive shopping development until the arse had fallen out of the economy. Muppets.

DWCommuter

baztard wrote: »

The shopping centre was meant to have Dunnes as its anchor tenant. So if it had of been built successfully we would have had an extra large super market in the town. So the town council were right to go the path that they did in that regard (ie. not forcing tesco or superquinn into it).

One of the planning objectors, Liam O'Farrell, seems like a right miserable kunt. He's the developer responsible for the unfinished shopping centre.

Speaking of car park spaces, does anyone know what state the car park in the new shopping centre is? Would it be possible to open it up, or to force the shopping centre to open it?

Do you honestly believe that Naas could sustain the proposed Dunnes Stores and the new Tescos? Obviously Dunnes Stores didn't. I stand by my belief that Naas Town Council are useless and cocked up. When you start allowing a major chain like Tescos to dictate, then its game over. As for the developer. Nothing new there. He just thought the goods times would roll forever.

Ive said this before. Newbridge got the White Water. Naas got the White Elephant.

mallet head

Just on this lads, my company was due to commence work on the shopping centre site just as the plug was pulled. It's a mess. Dunnes pulled out in very shady circumstances mainly due to a company review which seen policy move away from selling clothes. The unit was then too big just to sell food so the developer went to split the main unit in two and get in a clothes retailer. he had no luck. I am informed 20 million quid has been sunk into the town centre to date so I can kinda understand them objecting to the Penneys plan as i doubt the town centre will ever be viable if penneys don't move in. I'm not saying he's right to object but i can understand why.

DWCommuter

mallet head wrote: »

Just on this lads, my company was due to commence work on the shopping centre site just as the plug was pulled. It's a mess. Dunnes pulled out in very shady circumstances mainly due to a company review which seen policy move away from selling clothes. The unit was then too big just to sell food so the developer went to split the main unit in two and get in a clothes retailer. he had no luck. I am informed 20 million quid has been sunk into the town centre to date so I can kinda understand them objecting to the Penneys plan as i doubt the town centre will ever be viable if penneys don't move in. I'm not saying he's right to object but i can understand why.

I understand where you're coming from, but it was always the intention of Pennys to move into the Superquinn site with Superquinn then moving to the St. Patricks school site before a single scoop of cement was flung at the Naas shopping centre project. Ive never known it to be any different. I agree that Pennys would have been better off in the new development, (it made perfect sense) but this comes back down to Naas Town Council and their handling of commercial development.

Ultimately Liam O' Farrell is just trying to give his doomed project some chance of survival. But at its planning stages, he didn't give a toss what Pennys were doing as he thought he had scored a big gun in Dunnes Stores.

mallet head

DWCommuter wrote: »

I understand where you're coming from, but it was always the intention of Pennys to move into the Superquinn site with Superquinn then moving to the St. Patricks school site before a single scoop of cement was flung at the Naas shopping centre project. Ive never known it to be any different. I agree that Pennys would have been better off in the new development, (it made perfect sense) but this comes back down to Naas Town Council and their handling of commercial development.

Oh without a doubt but they did meet with penneys tk maxx and at least one other clothes retailer who's name escapes me at the minute.

But at its planning stages, he didn't give a toss what Pennys were doing as he thought he had scored a big gun in Dunnes Stores

Well he was hardly going to go after a penneys if he had Dunnes. I'm not certain on this but i think they didn't break ground on the development till they had bagged the anchor tenant. It ended in the courts (or just outside the door) along with Harry crosbies attempt with Dunnes.

DWCommuter

mallet head wrote: »

DWCommuter wrote: »

Oh without a doubt but they did meet with penneys tk maxx and at least one other clothes retailer who's name escapes me at the minute.



Well he was hardly going to go after a penneys if he had Dunnes. I'm not certain on this but i think they didn't break ground on the development till they had bagged the anchor tenant. It ended in the courts (or just outside the door) along with Harry crosbies attempt with Dunnes.

Its all a right mess for sure mallet head and the biggest losers are the Naas people. A town that had so much potential to be a really modern, forward striking place is now just a disjointed mix of old and new. Don't get me wrong, I love living here, but it sickens me to see how the town has developed.

DWCommuter

The Leinster Leader is reporting that Superquinn are being lined up to become the anchor tenant in Naas Shopping Centre. Superquinn say they can't confirm it at this time. It would be a sensible idea.