'Distressed' retail area in Tipperary would be 'the perfect location for apartments'

Clonmel is crying out for new residential apartments and it would be great if some were built at Market Place, the town’s first citizen has stated.

Cllr Pat English made his remarks at a meeting of Clonmel Borough District, when he noted that District Administrator Carol Creighton had stated in her report to the meeting that the site had been included under the Residential Zone Land Tax.

Ms Creighton said that architects representing Remcoll, the company that owns most of the units at Market Place, had requested a meeting with Tipperary County Council’s planning officials next Wednesday, March 1, to discuss the revised plans for the area that they had previously submitted.

They would have to wait and see what the architects were proposing for the area, she added.

This meeting was supposed to have taken place towards the end of last year.

Most of the shop units at the retail area Market Place are unoccupied, following several shop closures and relocations over the years.

These include anchor tenant SuperValu, which was previously the site of a Superquinn store, and which closed just over seven years ago with the loss of 46 jobs.

Eighteen buildings in the area were sold at a distressed property auction almost ten years ago for €920,000.

Cllr Michael Murphy supported the District Mayor’s comments. In his view there would be no better place for a residential development, perhaps even for older people, than the former SuperValu/Superquinn store.

He said that in the midst of a housing crisis this would be the perfect location for a mix of residential units and shops.

Cllr Murphy said that the former supermarket was turning into an eyesore. There were weeds growing at the rear of the building on the road that runs adjacent to the rear of the post office, and its upkeep was a struggle.

“It’s time for a different approach,” said Cllr Murphy. He was sure all the councillors were asked on a weekly basis about an update on Market Place.

He said the council should engage with Remcoll with a view to undertaking a joint venture to develop the area. The way things were going they could be talking about it for years to come.

When he was walking through the area recently he heard a local resident say that the rates there were dearer than in Grafton Street in Dublin but that wasn’t the case, and the rates had been reduced.

District Manager Sinéad Carr said that the Residential Zone Land Tax was “beginning to focus minds” on Market Place.

It was disappointing that Remcoll had taken so long to engage with the council but they would work with the company to come up with solutions and options to maximise the value of that commercial area, Ms Carr stated.