Ivan Yates
Question:323 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government when the retail planning guidelines will be published; and if he is considering a major review from the present store limit sizes. [25007/00]
Written Answers. - Retail Sector Developments.
Ivan Yates
Question:339 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government when the finalisation of the planning retail guidelines will be completed; and if it is intended to adhere to the draft guidelines, as published two years ago. [25023/00]
Ivan Yates
Question:340 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he has satisfied himself that the insistence of specific retail plans in urban areas by local authorities, as part of their draft development plan process, is workable and that there will be adequate staff and expertise to implement this. [25024/00]
Ivan Yates
Question:341 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if, under the sequential approach in relation to the out of town centre retail development planning guidelines, there will be any real impediment on out of town centre facilities in view of the international experience whereby this policy has been so subjective as to be disregarded in some cases. [25025/00]
Ivan Yates
Question:342 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he has satisfied himself in relation to the cap on retail store size limits in view of the fact that various mechanisms, in terms of the definition of the sale of goods, are being used by multiple stores to circumvent the regulations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25026/00]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 323, 339, 340, 341 and 342 together.
I am close to finalising the retail planning guidelines and will issue them very shortly under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act, 2000, which I commenced with effect from 1 November 2000. In the meantime it would not be appropriate to go into any details.
The Local Government (Planning and Development) General Policy Directive (Shopping), 1998, which is currently in force, limits the retail floorspace of supermarkets to 3,000 square metres net. The draft retail planning guidelines, published in April 1999, proposed that this limit should remain in force in the remainder of the State outside the greater Dublin area, but that in the greater Dublin area, the floorspace limit on foodstores should be increased to 3,500 square metres. In finalising the guidelines, regard is being had to the outcome of the public consultation and the study which I had carried out on the economic impact of implementing the guidelines.
The draft retail planning guidelines proposed that each county council and county borough corporation should prepare retail policies for its administrative area. This will be important to ensure that retail planning policy as expressed in the development plan is tailored to local circumstances. I am confident that local authorities will have sufficient resources to carry out this task effectively. In many cases, local authorities may choose to engage consultants with specific expertise in relation to retail planning.
The hierarchical approach to retail planning as set out in the draft retail planning guidelines, which dictates that retail developments should be of appropriate scale, is a fundamental element of development planning in delivering retail structures that support the maintenance of vibrant and viable centres. I am confident that the hierarchical approach allied to the cap on the size of superstores will be effective.
I am not aware that multiple stores are using various mechanisms in terms of the definition of the sale of goods to circumvent the current control on retail development which I introduced under the Local Government (Planning and Development) General Policy Directive (Shopping), 1998. One of the issues being considered in finalising the guidelines is the clarity of the definitions used. I am satisfied that the interim floorspace cap introduced by the 1998 directive is working well. If the cap had not been introduced, it is probable that a substantial number of superstores would have been built, thereby rendering the final guidelines fruitless.