Tesco-owned site in Kilkenny must 'not be allowed to remain as a vacant eyesore'

The old mart site in Kilkenny City confirmed to be owned by Tesco must 'not be allowed to remain as a disused and vacant eyesore', according to Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce.

The Chamber told Kilkenny Live that 'it is important that the site is brought into use as soon as possible'.

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The Chamber added that it is essential that future use of the site 'is consistent with other key initiatives and plans for Kilkenny which the Chamber already supports such as the Town Centre First Initiative, the City and County Development Plan and the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan'.

"Due consideration also needs to be given to the future vision for the Abbey Quarter which is located nearby on the other side of St Francis Bridge," they added.

POLL RESULT

The team at Kilkenny Live recently put the following poll question to our online readers: Would the introduction of a Tesco store be a good or a bad thing for Kilkenny?

The three options were ‘Positive’, ‘Negative’ and ‘I’m not sure’.

Out of over 300 votes cast, here are the results:

• Positive - 75%
• Negative - 21%
• I’m not sure - 4%

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With recent confirmation that Tesco are the owners of the site, discussions around the local impact of a future store on the site have flourished.

RMLA Limited, acting on behalf of Tesco, state that their client is not liable for a new tax earmarked for the site under the new Draft Residential Zoned Land Tax Map.

“We respectfully request that the local authority take into account the content of this submission and we look forward to receiving confirmation that the lands are removed from the Residential Zoned Land Tax Map,” read the statement from RMLA Limited to Kilkenny County Council.

Should the issue around the tax liability of the site be resolved amicably, there is still a long planning process to go through.