In a statement to the media, Boyle Town Team has requested the appellant to the grant of permission for the Aldi development in the town to “please consider withdrawing your appeal”.
The statement also outlines the knock on effects of the appeal on the town:
“Regarding the recent appeal to the planning permission granted by Roscommon County Council to the Aldi development in St Patrick’s Street, Boyle Town Team fully respect an individual right to object as this is the process in place and they are entitled to exercise their right to do same”.
“We were deeply disappointed to hear of the appeal and we have concerns over this from a town development perspective”
“At best this will delay the progress of a most welcome development or at worst lead to this project not proceeding”.
“In the case of Aldi, the appellant is based almost 100km’s away from Boyle with no physical business assets or community involvement in Boyle known to the Town Team. Currently our planning process allows submissions & objections from any location nationally. We see this as an opportunity for improvement within the overall planning framework. We do appreciate it’s not as simple as banning out of county applications and the law is this way for many valid reasons. Nonetheless its constraints have resulted in the situation we are in”.
“The appeal unfortunately puts the below at risk”:
- Competition in the retail space in a town with a growing population.
- 5 housing units in a severe housing shortage.
- Up to 30 permanent positions.
- Construction phase employment & associated increases in local business.
- 96 badly needed town centre car parking spaces.
- 10 cycle parking spaces and shelter.
- The much-needed revitalisation of a derelict street row.
- Delays to much needed Public Realm works in St Patrick Street.
- Delays to undergrounding of powerlines on St. Patrick Street.
In addition, 1000s of government, business and volunteer hours already been spent on this project.
Reputational damage
“Most of the business community, local government, national government and volunteers dedicate their time to making Boyle an attractive location to invest, visit and live”.
“The delay, along with the risk it poses to the project as a whole, is profoundly disappointing for the patient residents and businesses on St Patrick Street, for the people of Boyle who aspire to a vibrant and prosperous town, for the project promoters, volunteers and the local authority, all who work tirelessly to showcase Boyle as a place that is open for business”.
“Our request to the appellant is to please reflect on your decision, how this impacts our collective community and finally to please consider withdrawing your appeal. To all the people & businesses of Boyle: We ask you to throw your full weight behind the project and leverage your connections to respectfully encourage the withdrawal of this appeal”.
“We thank the planning unit of Roscommon County Council for their work throughout the planning process and have every confidence that An Coimisiún Pleanála will diligently complete their work. We hope for a positive outcome for this project and the development of Boyle”.
“The Town Team are now more energised than ever in the goal of realising the continued and future development of Boyle and surrounding area”.
