Lidl Ireland GmbH is one of Ireland’s fastest-growing food retailers, with over 160 stores in operation throughout the country and plans for a further 40. To cater for their expanding national network, Lidl identified the need to expand their current facility in Newbridge, Co. Kildare which serves as their distribution hub for half of the Dublin and Southern region.
To enable Lidl Ireland’s strategic development for the country in the medium to long term, McCutcheon Halley secured planning permission for a development comprising a new regional distribution centre (RDC) warehouse (c. 57,611m2) and a new distributor road (c. 1.5km in length), an important part of the wider road infrastructure which will serve the RDC warehouse and form part of the Newbridge South Orbital Relief Road.
McCutcheon Halley was appointed as the Planning Lead and Project Coordinator and provided strategic and project-specific advice and direction to both the client and the design team to ensure the successful delivery of the application. The McCutcheon Halley team engaged extensively with the planning authority and representatives of Kildare County Council to ensure that the design was planning compliant.
Key issues dealt with by McCutcheon Halley on behalf of the client included:
Design & Layout
Advising on the quantum of development and the optimum layout of individual elements within the site to ensure the protection of local amenities.
Amenity
Addressing the issue of acoustic levels associated during construction and operation of the development ensuring there is no significant noise or vibration impact on sensitive locations, i.e. residential properties.
Flooding
Due to the proximity of the development to existing watercourses, ensure that measures are in place to avoid the risk of contamination of surface water run-off and ensure climate change factors are incorporated.
Ecology
Addressing the potential implications of the proposed development on existing habitats (otters present in Pinkeen Stream and badger setts) within the subject site and the immediate surroundings.
Landscape & Visual
Ensure that the most visual element of the scheme, the proposed warehouse, will not have adverse impacts on the surrounding landscape specifically the approach to Newbridge from the R137 (Naas Road).
Archaeology
Following the identification of archaeological features of significance, the provision of appropriate mitigation measures was required to ensure there will be no residual impact on the archaeological features of significance.
Result:
On the 8th of January 2018, Kildare County Council issued a Final Grant of Permission (17/563) and noted “having regard to the nature and design of the proposed development, the character of the adjoining development, the Kildare County Development Plan 2017-2023, the Newbridge Local Area Plan 2013-2019 and the Environmental Impact Assessment, it is considered that, subject to compliance with the conditions attached, the proposed development would not seriously injure the amenities of the area of the property in the vicinity”.
