The elected members of Ballina Town Council on Wednesday night gave their permission for the council to dispose of 2.35 acres of land at Pearse Street/Humbert Street to Tesco for €3.43 million. The lands are located in the area where the existing Tesco store is located in the centre of the town, and it is planned that Tesco demolish the existing store and develop a whole new large store at this location. The total investment that Tesco will make in this project is estimated to be around €21 million. When completed the new store is expected to employ between 160 and 170 people, up from the 68 currently employed in the existing store. Some 300 car parking spaces both over and underground are also to be created as part of this development which will see an extra 180 to 190 car parking spaces being brought into the town centre of Ballina.
Senior executive officer for Mayo County Council Paul Benson outlined the plans to the elected members at this week’s Wednesday night meeting. He outlined the timeframe for the project would see the paperwork completed in four to five weeks, with Tesco signing an option to purchase contract to take the project through to planning permission stage and once planning permission is granted, Tesco will exercise that option to buy the site.
Senior executive officer for Mayo County Council Paul Benson outlined the plans to the elected members at this week’s Wednesday night meeting. He outlined the timeframe for the project would see the paperwork completed in four to five weeks, with Tesco signing an option to purchase contract to take the project through to planning permission stage and once planning permission is granted, Tesco will exercise that option to buy the site.
xMembers welcomed the development as a positive step for the town, with Independent councillor Mary Kelly stating “that a major company is willing to invest €21 million in Ballina is fantastic. It’s a win-win situation for both them and the town by keeping this kind of development in the town centre.” Cllr Gerry Ginty said: “There will be an awful lot of work in the construction phase of this development too and I urge all suppliers of local plant and machinery to make sure that they are ready for this when it comes around and get their tenders in to get some of the work going.” Cllr Mark Winters added his support saying: “We often beat ourselves up over the lack of development in the town, but in the depths of recession we have €21 million being invested in the town by a major company.”
There was concern expressed by the members of the council that while the development of the new store was under way Tesco would relocate to a temporary location in the town to ensure that the staff currently employed in the town would not have to travel to different stores in other towns in what could potentially be a two year construction project.
Mr Benson told the members that he has been in detailed discussions with Tesco over this whole project for a long period of time and it was something Tesco was actively looking at.
He said there were a number of locations in the town that Tesco was looking at, some of which were suitable and some which were not as consideration had to be given to parking in the vicinity, pedestrian and vehicular access, but it was something that Tesco was actively following as part of the project.
