Vol. 566 No. 3
421 Mr. P. Breen asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he intends to protect small village shops when he reviews the retail planning guidelines; if he will keep the cap on store sizes in order to protect these small outlets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12608/03]
438 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government his plans to review the retail planning guidelines on the size of superstores; if his attention has been drawn to the report by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Enterprise and Small Business on the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12727/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 421 and 438 together.
Retail planning guidelines under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 were made in December 2000. The purpose of the guidelines is to assist local authorities in addressing retail development in the context of their development plans and in assessing applications for planning permission, to guide retailers and developers in formulating retail development proposals and to ensure that sustainability in terms of land use, including access by public transport where feasible, guides the identification of the preferred location for retail development. The report of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Enterprise and Small Business, May 1999, was among the inputs to which regard was had in developing the retail planning guidelines.
