This article is from page 69 of the 2008-12-09 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 69 JPG
CLARE petrol retailers have warned that if Tesco is allowed proceed with a new petrol station in Kilrush, a number of their stations will be forced to close with the loss of 43 jobs.
Last month, Kilrush Town Coun- cil granted planning permission to Tesco to construct a four-island pet- rol station on the Ennis Road despite strong opposition from local petrol station owners and independent re- tailers organisation, RGDATA.
Eleven petrol stations have now appealed the decision and they are: Oliver O’Shea and John Crowley, Kilrush; John Daly, Cooraclare; Michael Fitzpatrick, §Kilmihil;
Michael Sheedy, Darragh, O’Sullivan & Hansbury, Ennis; Maxol/Spar, Clarecastle; Padraic Hayes, Doon- beg; David Glynn, Killimer; Tony Nealon, Kilmurry McMahon and Tessie Power, Knockerra.
Lodged by the Irish Petrol Retailer Association (IPRA), the appeal states that a number of these stations will be forced to close along with local shops that provide the only shopping outlet within their local communiti- Woe
The appeal predicts that the planned Tesco station will take 43% of the petrol retail market in west Clare ac- counting for sales of €149,940 per week.
Outlining the impact of the pro- posal, the IPRA state: “This is likely
to result in an increase in unemploy- ment, far beyond that provided by the Tesco petrol station, in areas that are far more economically and socially Cl uAKoreb
The appeal states that the independ- ent petrol stations employ 100 and that the anticipated loss of 43 jobs “‘is unacceptable in a period of economic recession in an area that has already Zim Ovecdomtvatcanele)(@nses(oonlme:iiome
The IPRA claims that the applica- tion “fails to uphold the zoning of a site within the development plan area for a petrol filling station and that the current proposal does not provide the required retailing offer required under the Development Plan and will result in the over-profileration of pet- rol stations along the Ennis Road.