Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 July 2008
571 Deputy Tom Hayes asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will take steps to clarify the interpretation of definitions relating to retail bulky goods under the Planning Acts; and if he write to all local authorities in respect of this clarification in the interest of consistency across all local authorities. [25527/08]
View answerGuidelines for Planning Authorities on Retail Planning were published by my Department in January 2005. These Guidelines reviewed and revised the 2000 Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Retail Planning and dealt in detail with retail warehouses, i.e. those premises which sell bulky household goods. The Guidelines were issued under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 which requires planning authorities and An Bord Pleanála to have regard to them in the performance of their functions.
Annex 1 to the Guidelines contains a glossary of terms and, inter alia, states that retail bulky goods are goods generally sold from retail warehouses where DIY goods or goods such as flatpack furniture are of such a size that they would normally be taken away by car and not be manageable by customers travelling by foot, cycle or bus, or that large floor areas would be required to display them e.g. furniture in room sets, or goods though not large themselves, which would where part of a collective purchase be bulky e.g. wallpaper or paint.
The Guidelines also state that a retail warehouse is a single-level store specialising in the sale of bulky household goods catering mainly for car-borne customers and often in out-of-centre locations.
The interpretation of planning guidelines in individual cases is a matter for each planning authority and An Bord Pleanála, on appeal.
