Community groups join forces to object to residential plan for Tipperary Town centre

Community groups in Tipperary Town have joined forces to oppose a residential development in the town centre.
The combined groups say they want to protect the retail integrity of the town centre.
On three occasions a planning application has been lodged with Tipperary County Council for a residential development on the former Caulfield’s Super Valu site in the town centre.
A company called Thorhammer Ltd has applied to Tipperary County Council to provide an assisted living elderly care building with 45 self-contained units at 42 Bank Place, Tipperary Town.
ASSISTED LIVING
The application was made three times to Tipperary County Council since December 22.
On the three occasions the authority has described the application as invalid.
This week community groups said if another application is lodged they will object.
Jobs4Tipp, Tipperary Town Chamber and The Tipperary Enhancement group have stated that the former Caulfield’s SuperValu site must be retained as a commercial site in the town centre.
A spokesperson for these groups stated: “This site has the potential to be a very valuable retail venue, and because of its size would be suitable to major national retailers. Tipperary Town is already very attractive to national brands, we are delighted that several new stores have located recently on the Limerick Road, Dealz which opened before Christmas, and a major electrical retailer which will open within two months.
“We already have Dunnes Stores, Tesco, Lidl, Mr Price, Supervalu, Aldi, and Sam McCauley as well as established shops all over town,” said the spokesperson.
The spokesperson for the three groups described Tipperary Town as a fantastic place to shop in and maintained that the town was strategically placed to welcome more major retailers.
The groups went on to say: “New retail stores opening in Tipperary Town is a hugely welcome development, bringing jobs and money to the local economy, but the fact that these new ones are mainly located on the Limerick Road makes them less likely to increase badly needed footfall in the town centre.”
The spokesperson said that town centre first initiatives all over Ireland were bringing back the focus of maintaining the retail experience of main streets.
“Tipperary Town has one of the most aesthetically rich buildings with long established and mostly family run businesses on the main street who would welcome a major retailer into the heart of Tipperary Town,” said the spokesperson.
The spokesperson said that Jobs4Tipp, Tipperary Town Chamber and the Tipperary Town Enhancement Group would be formally objecting when a valid planning application is made to the county council as to-date three recent applications by the same developer have already been judged invalid.
“We need a rebalancing and retention of our commercial buildings. This historical building which is a protected structure may well be lost to our beloved town instead of being restored and enhance our Main Street. This is the only commercial site of this size along the main street which is currently the N24. Tipperary Town has always been a market town and should remain a market town.
“This site should be retained for future commercial requirements and also must be retained as a potentially viable outlet for a major national retailer, a hotel or both,” said the group spokesperson.
The spokesperson said that the members of the three groups, Jobs4Tipp, Tipperary Town Chamber and the Tipperary Town Enhancement Group, strongly believed that once this major commercial site was gone, there would be no other viable option for a major retailer in the town centre.

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