Dunnes Stores criticised for vacant buildings in Cork and Dublin

A former Dunnes Stores premises in the centre of Dún Laoghaire that has lain vacant for the best part of 20 years is the subject of a petition initiated by local councillor Lorraine Hall.

The petition, which describes the site at 26 to 29 Upper George’s Street as “a blight on our town centre”, is calling on Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council to list the premises on its Derelict Sites Register.

The Derelict Sites Act defines a derelict site as any land that “detracts, or is likely to detract, to a material degree from the amenity, character or appearance of land in the neighbourhood”. Owners of derelict sites listed on the register must pay and annual levy of 7 per cent of the property value to the local authority.

Planning documents submitted to the council describe the applications as being submitted on behalf of Better Value Unlimited Company, a vehicle associated with the ownership and operation of Dunnes Stores.

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Despite the presence of prominent To Let signage on the buildings, Ms Hall said the buildings have not had tenants for a considerable number of years, while the planning registry at Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council shows a number of planning applications over the last 16 years that have not been acted upon.

“I understand that one resident is living in an apartment in one of the buildings. He is elderly and has lived there his whole life. But there are four buildings at question here – and it’s an enormous block – so it is terrible to see nothing happen at such a central high footfall area in our town,” she said.

“The buildings continue to fall into a worsening state of disrepair and dereliction,” she said.

Ms Hall also accused the building’s owners of “land hoarding”, which she said was “completely at odds with what local residents and businesses want and detracts considerably from the vibrancy of our town”.

She added that Government funding of €150 million was available to help local authorities tackle vacancy and dereliction and in addition to the petition she has now tabled a motion at Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council to have the sites added to the register.

Ms Hall’s petition at change.org had reached 846 signatures by Wednesday afternoon. She said she was hoping to gather 1,000 signatures.

The petition comes as Dunnes Stores was also criticised online in relation to its store in Macroom, Co Cork, which was built as part of a development including some 20 apartments.

The development was initially granted planning permission for a store and overhead apartments on a former bakery site. However the apartments, while built, have remained empty. A planning application submitted on behalf of Dunnes Stores in 2006 to develop a first-floor retail area with a licensed restaurant over the existing retail was approved by planners. The permission was extended in 2007 and again in 2012.

Dunnes Stores was contacted for comment in relation to both the Dún Laoghaire and the Macroom buildings.