A Fine Gael councillor in the Ballina Municipal District has questioned Mayo County Council officials on what is happening with a proposed Tesco site in the town.
Councillor John O’Hara raised the matter at a recent meeting of the Ballina Municipal District, stating that the proposed site at the bottom of Pearse Street in the town has remained frozen for a number of years and the area is beginning to fall into dilapidation.
Speaking after the meeting Cllr O’Hara said: “I have been asked by different shopkeepers and people all around Ballina what’s happening? Tesco bought a site in Ballina some years ago and the area is frozen, nothing has been happening with it. It’s letting down the town and I think Tesco has a responsibility to come back to the people of Ballina and either buy this site or leave it because it’s unfair. We’re in the Tidy Towns and all those buildings that Tesco say they needed, and the council gave them the first refusal on buying them, they are all frozen and they are getting dilapidated and it’s a bad image on the town to have empty buildings as you come into it.”
He believes the company owes it to Ballina to make a decision on what is happening: “The Tesco that’s there now was one of their first stores built in Ireland and I think Ballina deserves a new store because the current one is ancient and it is holding back our town and Tesco owes it to Ballina to come and make a decision one way or the other.”
