ARGOS Store saga - Sligo

magnumlady

It looks like now ARGOS will withdraw its plans to open up in Sligo :mad:

www.oceanfm.ie/onair/sligoleitrimnews.php?articleid=000001922

I hope there is a positive outcome in the end.

Paddy20

I would think that after Argos meet the chamber of commerce you will see a withdrawal of objections to Argos opening in Sligo.

On another point, I live in Ballybofey, Co' Donegal, and I am just wondering if this new Ocean FM radio stations broadcast signal can be picked up this side of Barnesmore gap ?...

P.

goodgod3rd

i think you can.. but im not sure... possibly high land blocks it :> ..

byte

Yeah, I can pick it up in the car, Paddy20, no problems. Even works (though hissy) in letterkenny, in the car, and on the hifi

FM 105.00 btw is the frequency

There's also a webstream on their website, oceanfm.ie if you have broadband.

genie

magnumlady wrote:

It looks like now ARGOS will withdraw its plans to open up in Sligo :mad:

www.oceanfm.ie/onair/sligoleitrimnews.php?articleid=000001922

I hope there is a positive outcome in the end.

:mad:

What I can't understand is why the Sligo Chamber of Commerce can have a say in what shops open in the new retail park when the retail park is situated outside the Sligo Borough boundary?

This is a great pity and it makes Sligo look a right laughing stock. Sligo hasn't got an Easons either probably because the likes of Keoghans want to keep them out.

There are lots of new developments down at Collooney, perhaps Argos would consider locating there instead? A tile and bathroom store opened there recently.

Johnny_the_fox

or maybe it because they bought Index in the north..

With Derry City (the capital of the North West ) having an index and argos.. it now has two argos' ...<edit> and an argos extra</edit> and this could cover the north west area?

magnumlady

Johnny_the_fox wrote:

or maybe it because they bought Index in the north..

With Derry City (the capital of the North West ) having an index and argos.. it now has two argos' ...<edit> and an argos extra</edit> and this could cover the north west area?

Derry is miles away from Sligo and theywould be in sterling currency as well. No, we definately need one in Sligo. You watch all the NI people come down and shop in it as well.

magnumlady

Paddy20 wrote:

I would think that after Argos meet the chamber of commerce you will see a withdrawal of objections to Argos opening in Sligo.

QUOTE]

Be great if they do. Fingers and everything are crossed.

goodgod3rd

Johnny_the_fox wrote:

or maybe it because they bought Index in the north..

With Derry City (the capital of the North West ) having an index and argos.. it now has two argos' ...<edit> and an argos extra</edit> and this could cover the north west area?

well .. letterkenny has one! a sit one.. but one none the less

GG66

What I can't understand is why the Sligo Chamber of Commerce can have a say in what shops open in the new retail park when the retail park is situated outside the Sligo Borough boundary?

From what I gather the County Development Plan stipulates that the shopping development at carraroe will only sell bulky goods. As Argos also sell small goods locating them there is in contravention of this so they can object to it.

Argos have been offered free space in the Quat side shopping centre until the new shopping centre in Wine St. Car park is developed.

It's a bit sickening really as Sligo shopping has been held back for a long time by the few businesses who run the town with a vested interest. One local businessman was objecting to Toymaster coming to carraroe ( he had a toy shop on the quays) he got very bad PR form it and his shop closed soon after Toymaster openened.

If you feel stonrlgy enough about it send the Chamber an email http://www.sligochamber.com/contactus.asp with your opinion and tell your friends to do the same. This should be a decision for the consumer to make.

magnumlady

GG66 wrote:

From what I gather the County Development Plan stipulates that the shopping development at carraroe will only sell bulky goods. As Argos also sell small goods locating them there is in contravention of this so they can object to it.

Argos have been offered free space in the Quat side shopping centre until the new shopping centre in Wine St. Car park is developed.

It's a bit sickening really as Sligo shopping has been held back for a long time by the few businesses who run the town with a vested interest. One local businessman was objecting to Toymaster coming to carraroe ( he had a toy shop on the quays) he got very bad PR form it and his shop closed soon after Toymaster openened.

If you feel stonrlgy enough about it send the Chamber an email http://www.sligochamber.com/contactus.asp with your opinion and tell your friends to do the same. This should be a decision for the consumer to make.

There are present shops up at Carraroe that are selling bulky goods and small goods side by side - something what ARGOS would be doing so I cannot see what the difference would be. IE you have a Homebase up there (part of the Argos group anyway) and they are selling screws and nails and other kinds of small goods including electrical goods so they are getting away with it.

One thing to try and do is boycott all stores that are under the umbrella of the Sligo Chamber of Commerce until they withdraw their appeal from an bord pleanalla. Its all very well them wanting to stick to an environs development plan but with them supporting the plans and lodging appeals against planning permission they are denying people in the town to have the shops they want.

I have last week tried to send an email to the chamber of commerce but their email was not working so i decided to FAX them with my objections to what they are doing - I also faxed a copy of the letter to an bord pleanalla and I have yet to receive anything back from both places. I havent even received an acknowledgement that they have received the FAX's.

I hpe something gets sorted out in the meeting and that ARGOS wont pull out and that they will be allowed to set up in Sligo. And if that means up at the carraroe retail Park and infringes on some plan that was made then tough. They should listen to what the citizens of Sligo want and re-consider or ammend the plan.

Other towns welcome new stores with open arms - Sligo should be doing the same or it will lose out in the future.

Paddy20

magnumlady wrote:

"Other towns welcome new stores with open arms - Sligo should be doing the same or it will lose out in the future."

Aldi were blocked from opering in Ballybofey/Stranorlar, now TESCO have been objected too as well. However, Lidl are now looking for land in this locality of the Twin-Towns.

Old business families that I refer to as 'THE MAFIA' do not want change, as they have been Ripping-off our citizens for generations, but they will not be able to stop the 'Tide of Change' in retailing that is changing the shopping habits of all the citizens of Ireland.

So, believe me. Sligo is not alone !.

It is only a matter of time, before these parochial idiots are pushed aside .

P.

Paddy20

Lohan wrote:

Nobody gives a **** about Derry.

Yer women are prostitutes and ye are ****ing west brits.

Deal with it !

Lohan,

Attacking the poster in a personal manner is against Board.ie rules, and Johnny_the_fox has been making much appreciated helpful posts on the North West forum for a lot longer than you .

Now, I hope the Mods deal with you in an appropriate manner forthwith.

P.

muffler

Paddy20 wrote:

Aldi were blocked from opering in Ballybofey/Stranorlar,

Where was this Paddy?

I dont recall Aldi loking to open anywhere in the Finn Valley Area

muffler

Lohan wrote:

Nobody gives a **** about Derry.

Yer women are prostitutes and ye are ****ing west brits.

Deal with it !

Thats totally uncalled for.

I hope you are banned.

Time and place for everything.

Paddy20

muffler,

Re: ALDI for Ballybofey.

About a year ago ALDI was going to purchase a very large plot of land out by Navenny Street, by the little bridge and opposite the Finn Park on the right as you go out Navenny.

Before they got very far, there were so many objections from local business/grocery and others, that they decided to open in Donegal Town instead !.

So, we lost out 'ONCE AGAIN ', afaik that is why SuperValu moved out of 'The Shopping Centre' and opened a larger store in Letterkenny, as they believed ALDI would take all their business away. We now have something called Costcutter in the shopping centre.

P.

Tar.Aldarion

muffler wrote:

Thats totally uncalled for.

I hope you are banned.

Time and place for everything.

he was banned a while ago

muffler

Paddy20 wrote:

About a year ago ALDI was going to purchase.

Before they got very far, there were so many objections from local business/grocery and others, that they decided to open in Donegal Town instead !.

Sorry if this is straying off the topic but Aldi have their Donegal store opened well over a year ago. For the time it would have took to get planning and then the construction works it would have been at least 3 years ago that Aldi would have expressed an interest in the Donegal site.

Paddy you said that people were objecting. What were the objecting to and who were they objecting to? Aldi never made a planning application so I cant see where objections came from.

muffler

Tar.Aldarion wrote:

he was banned a while ago

I knew that good news had to arrive some time

Paddy20

muffler,

Re: Aldi for Ballybofey !.

I agree it could be a lot longer than a year (It's the 'Old memory again'), but I have no reason too mislead. I think it might be an idea if you were too ask the (So called) Ballybofey/Stranorlar, Chamber of Commerce, which is not even an officially registered Chamber as they have never had the required number of members to qualify for membership of the official 'Chambers of Commerce of Ireland' !, yet they have been collecting monthly due's/membership fee's for very many years :mad: . The nearest officialially recognised Chamber of Commerce is Letterkenny. , unless things have recently changed.

Or you could ask the local County Councillors; Patrick McGowan, Ms Alice Bonner or J.J Reid.

I really had to laugh when I read recently in the local press that the Ballybofey/Stranorlar "Chamber of Commerce" may have too disband, due to no one turning up at their meeting's,?.. is it any wonder when their committee is made up of a bunch of narrow minded, parochial snobs who are so short sighted they would need milk bottle bottom's to see their own ignorance and incompetance.

Off Topic I know, but a vital answer to an important question about the blocking of ALDI for Ballybofey, which has very nicely 'covered up'.

P.

Paddy20

Tar.Aldarion wrote:

he was banned a while ago

If Lohan was banned a while ago ?.. how come he was able too post such disgusting remarks about the good people of Derry and Johnny_The_Fox

P.

Tar.Aldarion

Paddy20 wrote:

If Lohan was banned a while ago ?.. how come he was able too post such disgusting remarks about the good people of Derry and Johnny_The_Fox

P.

he was banned shortly after the comments.

muffler

Paddy20 wrote:

muffler,

Re: Aldi for Ballybofey !.
I think it might be an idea if you were too ask the (So called) Ballybofey/Stranorlar, Chamber of Commerce,

Or you could ask the local County Councillors; Patrick McGowan, Ms Alice Bonner or J.J Reid.
P.

Sorry Paddy thats not good enough. Its ask this person and that person!
I am asking you.

Nobody from the chamber of commerce or none of the Cllrs. posted statements on the boards claiming people were objecting to Aldi coming to Ballybofey

You need to back up your allegations mate.

Never knew that a club, association, chamber of commerce etc had to be affililiated to a national umbrella group in order to become "legal"

Paddy20

The Ballybofey/Stranorlar Chamber had official misleading window stickers stating they were Chamber of Commerce member's, I suppose the poor dimwit's and parochial idiot's, did not even know that it was illegal!.

As I stated in relation too ALDI, there has been a cover up. As there were objections from the local Mafia before they could even purchase the land.

Look online at the objections that have now stopped Tesco's plan's to open a megastore on the Donegal Road on land they have already purchased ?. www.donegalcoco.ie/
click on planning, it is interactive. With maps, planning objections etc.

The latest I have heard is that LIDL have now offered just about any price for a suitable site in the Ballybofey/Stranorlar area, and have made it clear that No One will stop them opening !

P.

muffler

Paddy I,m not nit-picking here but yes I am aware of the Tesco situation.
There are 3 objections. Actually there are 2 objections and 1 submission from a local contactor.

The 2 objections consist of one from the Society of Irish Motor Industry who were objecting by and large to the filling station end of things.

The other is from some guy called Shane Fitzgerald. Do you know this guy. I certainly dont.

Apart from the above there are no local objections to Tesco's plans for a store. So where are all the local objections at then Paddy

At this stage nobody but nobody has stopped anything as a decision has not been made on the planning application.

Facts are needed and not personal opinions

Paddy20

Our local Jos McMenamin {Builders} is one of the local objectors to TESCO , and Dublin based Shane Fitzgerald is only acting as a front for Ballybofey's devious cowardly greed driven local mafia. I do not personally know him?...

The County Manager, Michael McLoone has requested that Tesco modify there building plan as McMenamin own's a large plot of land next to Tesco's land, he also has full planning permission for a large number of new house's.

You would think having a Tesco nice and handy to these new house's would be an advantage too the building Contractor's ?..

However,this is the secretive Twin-Town's after all !.

P.

muffler

Paddy20 wrote:

Our local Jos McMenamin {Builders} is one of the local objectors to TESCO ,

The County Manager, Michael McLoone has requested that Tesco modify there building plan as McMenamin own's a large plot of land next to Tesco's land, he also has full planning permission for a large number of new house's.

Firstly, Joe MCMenamin has not objected to the planning application.

Sercondly, which McMenamin owns the large plot of land you refer to?

Paddy20

muffler wrote:

Firstly, Joe MCMenamin has not objected to the planning application.

Sercondly, which McMenamin owns the large plot of land you refer to?

Reply:-

1; Objection received by Donegal County Council to TESCO, from McMenamin Brothers, c/o MH Associate's,Letterkenny. Dated 29/06/2005. See County Managers order number; 2005PS379 online.Dated 22/07/2005.

2; McMenamin Brothers Limited, Dreenan, Ballybofey. Planning permission for 80 houses granted (Despite 3 objections) Application number ; 04/9412 (Granted). see online at Donegal Co Council interactive website and planning search engine with GIS Maps

muffler

Im starting a new thread on the Tesco issue in Ballybofey.

I apologise to the people of Sligo and surrounding areas as the original thread starter here i.e. "ARGOS store saga - Sligo" has more or less been dominated by myself and Paddy20 over a seperate issue altogether.

byte

muffler wrote:

Sorry if this is straying off the topic but Aldi have their Donegal store opened well over a year ago. For the time it would have took to get planning and then the construction works it would have been at least 3 years ago that Aldi would have expressed an interest in the Donegal site.

Paddy you said that people were objecting. What were the objecting to and who were they objecting to? Aldi never made a planning application so I cant see where objections came from.

ALDI are NOT in Donegal Town. I very much doubt if they ever will, because Lidl are there already, unless there is some confusion between Aldi and Lidl shops?

With that said, Lidl seem to be throwing up shops in many places around the country, and it wouldn't surprise me if they would try to throw a shop into Twin Towns somewhere also.

roykeane16

what gives these clowns in the coc where i cant shop muppets the whole lot off them they have no right ti tell people where they can shop they shud resign

dingding

Tesco: We’re going to Carraroe
By Sandra Coffey

In a move that could spark a fresh planning row, Tesco has announced that it is submitting plans for its second Sligo store with the local planning authority on Tuesday.
The supermarket giant revealed that it is going ahead with its plans to seek planning permission for a new store at Carraroe, which will be located adjacent to the Sligo Retail Park.
Tesco previously submitted plans for the Carraroe store but withdrew it before a decision could be made. It is believed that it was withdrawn at the time because the retailer had received negative feedback due to the fact that the plans contravened the Sligo Development Plan. The development plan stipulates that goods of a warehouse variety can only be sold out of town.
Despite this still being the case, the move by Tesco to go ahead with their plans is being heralded as positive for shoppers by the supermarket chain.
In light of the recent planning debate about Argos, spokesperson for Tesco, Michael Sullivan, said they were confident that this was a positive move.
“We see our application as a different matter. They are two different things as far as we are concerned. We see it as a way of bolstering the town and we believe that this is a very good move for Sligo to have two Tesco stores.”
Bernard Mahoney, regional operational manager with Tesco Ireland said: “We are delighted to have this opportunity to add a new dimension to shopping for consumers in Sligo and enhance the city’s gateway status. Our strategy is to have two strong vibrant stores in Sligo.”
The proposed new Tesco store at Carraroe, will bring 300 jobs to Sligo and will be open for business in autumn 2007.
The store will consist of 6,673 square metres retail space. It will include a large glass walled open space downstairs, which will allow customer views of the surrounding area. There will also be a café.
The proposed store has a distinct contemporary design and bosses at Tesco have explained how it will be blended into the surrounding area by way of an extensive landscaping plan.
Parking spaces for 790 cars will be available along with recycling units, cycle racks and a pick-up area.
Meanwhile, it remains to be seen how this application will be received in light of recent planning issues that have surrounded Argos.
Although Argos was granted planning permission by Sligo County Council, their application to set-up outside of town in the Sligo Retail Park met with an objection from Sligo Chamber of Commerce at the Bord Pleanala stage.
The chamber sparked public outrage by doing so at the time. It cited that its reason for objecting was because it contravened the Sligo Development Plan.
Head-to-head talks between the chamber and Argos took place last September. A statement following the talks revealed that the meeting had been positive and another one would be held later. But, as of now, no solution has been agreed upon.

This is from the Sligo Weekender www.sligoweekender.ie

What will the coc make of this.

dingding

I see from the sligo weekender and ocean FM that Argos have withdrawen the application for the sligo store. :mad:

castlebarian

there is noting specil about argos any way we have one here in castlebar ive only been in there once though

magnumlady

castlebarian wrote:

there is noting specil about argos any way we have one here in castlebar ive only been in there once though

You always want what you cant have! .......

I can see Argos opening up in the Retail Park where Hanson's was in Sligo within the next 6 months myself, although I must say I would prefer to see it up Carraroe instead.

roykeane16

as long as it comes to sligo:)

castlebarian

roykeane16 wrote:

as long as it comes to sligo:)

its good to hyave it there when u need it but u wil find the stuff in any normal shop