Dealz store found to be in breach of planning permission

Discount store Dealz has been found to be in breach of Irish planning rules due to a building which requires a "change of use" permission.

South Dublin County Council has determined a recently-opened branch of Dealz at Fonthill Retail Park was retailing small goods such as groceries, when the zoning of the park only permits the retail of bulky goods, such as household appliances.

South Dublin County Council ruled the change at the Fonthill site from warehousing to a retail unit which sells small items was not exempted development, and therefore the change required planning permission.

Dealz has about 50 stores in the Republic, 13 of which are in the Dublin area.

The company's stores have already encountered planning difficulties in Co Wexford and Galway.

Wexford County Council initiated enforcement proceedings in August in relation to a Dealz store at Wexford Retail Park, which was formerly a tile store and did not have “change of use” planning permission.

In Galway, signage on Dealz’s Eyre Square branch was found to be in breach of the Eyre Square architectural conservation area.

South Dublin County Council refused to say if it was taking enforcement action in relation to the matter.

The council said it would not comment publicly on individual planning enforcement issues.

Dealz had not responded to requests for comment at the time of writing.

Starbucks row

The Dealz controversy comes after US coffee chain Starbucks ran into planning difficulties with a number of its Irish outlets.

Fingal County Council recently served notice to discontinue use of a Starbucks outlet in Howth, after inspectors found the use of the premises had been changed from a bicycle shop to a coffee shop without the necessary planning permission.

An enforcement notice was served on the owners of the Harbour Road Starbucks on August 16th, the council said.

It gives the owners four weeks to discontinue the use of the premises.

Waterford City Council's planning department also opened a planning enforcement case after issues were raised in relation to a branch of Starbucks in the area.

In Cork, An Bord Pleanála ruled in March that three Starbucks outlets did not get necessary planning permission for change of use.

Starbucks has since been making efforts to regularise the situation.

A spokesman for the Department of Housing and Planning said responsibility for planning enforcement was a matter for the relevant local authority.

The spokesman said the department’s role was to provide “the legislative and policy guidance framework”.

The spokesman said the guidance on enforcement for local authorities was available on the department’s website.