22/5546
The construction of a single-storey Aldi discount food store (gross floor area of 1,819m2; net retail floor area of 1,315m2) including the sale of alcohol for consumption off the premises; green roof, rooftop solar panels and rooftop plant; loading bay; external plant enclosure; bin store; trolley bay; 102 no. car parking spaces, including EV, disabled, and parent and child spaces, 9 no. motorcycle spaces, and 24 no. covered cycle spaces; a single-storey retail building (gross retail area 226m2) which will comprise a health food shop and a youth café, with 6 no. car parking spaces, including a disabled space, and 4 no. covered cycle spaces; 1 no ESB substation; 1 no. single storey DRS units; outdoor gym equipment; signage; retaining walls; removal of 1 no existing access and 2 no. existing culverted sections of the existing stream along the eastern boundary, and provision of 2 no. new accesses over new bridge culverts from New Road, with associated railings, raised tables and pedestrian crossings; modifications to the existing pedestrian access from New Road to Barrack Street; and all associated site development, landscaping, boundary treatment and drainage works, including a foul pumping station and vent stack, on site at New Road and Barrack Street, Townplots, Kinsale, Co.Cork
Core Planning Reasoning
The proposed development is considered appropriate as the site is zoned 'Town Centre/Neighbourhood Centres' and is identified under Objective KS-T-02 to facilitate town centre expansion. It provides a modern retail format at an edge-of-centre location that cannot be accommodated within the medieval core, without causing significant negative impacts on the vitality of the existing town centre, traffic safety, or residential amenity.
Decision Maker's Conclusion
- The subject site is located at an edge-of-centre location suitable for a large convenience store, as the historic medieval core of Kinsale is too constrained to accommodate modern supermarket formats.
- The Retail Impact Assessment (RIA) demonstrates that there is sufficient expenditure capacity within the 15-minute catchment area to support the proposal without undermining the viability of existing retailers.
- Technical concerns regarding noise, traffic intensification, and flood risk have been adequately mitigated through revised design proposals, including the use of three-sided culverts and a robust surface water management system.