No appeal signals end of road for Trim Aldi plan

Plans for a mixed-use development in Trim that included an Aldi discount foodstore have been shot down by Meath County Council, which has refused planning permission for the development. An appeal has not been lodged to Bord Pleanala by the applicants, signalling the end of the line for the proposed development in its current form on the 1.945-acre site at the Longwood Road and Summerhill Road on the outskirts of Trim. The South-West Partnership lodged a planning application in June 2011 for a mixed use development with a total gross floor area of 4,826 sq metres, comprising a single-storey discount foodstore, a double-height motor showroom and a two-storey L-shaped building comprising of a four retail/retail service units, a children's activity centre and three office units. The proposed development was to be constructed on a 1.945 hectares site and bounded by the Longwood Road and Summerhill Road. A new vehicular access was proposed from the Longwood Road, along with 233 car parking spaces, and all associated landscaping and boundary works. Four submissions were received on the plans. One submission was against the plan while others, including one from Trim Celtic AFC, supported the application. Further information was requested by the planning authority and revised plans were submitted in April of this year which included internal alterations at first floor level to the retail/office block to provide two office units, amendments to the landscaping, the incorporation of bicycle stands and two additional bicycle spaces to provide a total of 84 bicycle spaces on site. Timber bollards were also included along the Longwood Road and Summerhill Road. Three reasons were given by Meath County Council for refusing planning approval. The first was that the proposed development would materially contravene the Trim Development Plan 2008-2014 and, in particular, the land use zoning "to provide for light industrial and industrial office-type employment in a high-quality campus environment subject to the provision of necessary physical infrastructure". The second reason was the the proposed development would be at variance with the planning authority's policy "to protect and enhance the vitality of Trim town centre and promote the area as the main commercial core where an appropriate mix of commercial, recreational, civic, cultural and residential uses are provided". The third reason stated: "It is considered that the proposed development, by reason of its location considerably removed from the town centre and with poor connectivity to the primary retail core area, would represent and inappropriate form of development, would constitute non-integrated and haphazard development and would estabish an undesireable future precedent on this gateway site and approach to a heritage town." A previous application lodged in September 2009 by the South-West Partnership was withdrawn in June 2010 a number of weeks after further information was submitted on the application.