Goffs shop scheme needs alteration to county plan

Planning permission for the building of a controversial shopping centre at Goffs, near Kill, Co Kildare, will be granted by Kildare County Council if councillors agree to make a material contravention of the county development plan. The acting county secretary, Mr Seamus Stokes, issued a notice this week signalling the council's intention to grant permission for what is termed a factory outlet centre, comprising a "village" of 45 discount stores. The decision to grant permission to build the £20 million complex on an 8,000 sq m site requires the council to make a material contravention to its county plan, allowing the development to proceed on agriculturally-zoned land. The planning application was made by Irish International Tourist Outlets, a subsidiary of Value Retail, a British/US company, but was objected to by the Naas & District Independent Retailers Association, a group of local retailers and business interests.

The issue has divided councillors, some of whom have visited a similar factory outlet centre owned by Value Retail in Britain. For the material contravention to be allowed, a 75 per cent majority of the 24 councillors' votes will have to be attained. The retailers association and others with an interest now have until January 26th to make further representations.

Included in the development is a tourist information office, a 652-space car park and a nine-space coach park. The purchase of the site from Robert J Goff & Co has been agreed on condition that planning permission is granted.

Costco, a US group wishing to build a £12 million, 126,000 sq ft "shopping club" at the Fonthill Industrial Estate in west Dublin, is seeking leave in the High Court on January 18th for a judicial review of An Bord Pleanala's decision to reject its planning application last October.

A decision by South Dublin County Council to grant the application was successfully appealed by RGDATA, the independent retailer group, which is a party to the legal proceedings. It is understood that among the grounds on which Costco is seeking the review are that last June's ministerial ban on superstores of more than 32,000 sq ft being built was applied after Costco's application had been made.