Aldi gets green light for €9 million Ballybrit supermarket

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Galway Daily news An Bord Pleanála blocks plans for Aldi supermarket in Ballybrit

Aldi has confirmed that it will create 30 new jobs in Galway with the opening of a new €9 million supermarket on the Old Monivea Road.

Galway City Council has granted planning permission for the construction of a two storey supermarket building, with 1,254sqm of retail space.

Construction of the new supermarket on the  is expected to start next year, and will support 50 jobs while being built.

The store is currently expected to open in August of 2023. When it does, it will be powered by green electricity, courtesy of the 52 solar panels which will go on the roof.

Commenting, Colin Breslin, Aldi Regional Managing Director said: “This is great news for Aldi shoppers in Galway and the local vibrant economy, and we are delighted with Galway City Council’s decision.

“Since opening our first store in County Galway in 2000, we’re proud to be an established part of Galway’s retail landscape.”

“We look forward to serving more Galway shoppers with our award-winning range of incredible value food and drink products, many of which are sourced locally from our Galway producers.”

Planning permission was granted by the city council with a total of 18 conditions attached to the project.

The new supermarket will be served by 80 car parking spaces and 12 bicycle spaces, and will also feature four charging stations for electric vehicles.

Objections to the plans were raised by Tesco Ireland Limited, and the Retail Grocery & Dairy Allied Trades Association (RGDATA).

A submission by Tesco raised issue with the plans contravention of the site’s zoning, which is a mix of ‘Industrial’ and ‘Light Industrial and Commercial’.

The city council however decided to grant a material contravention of the development plan in order to allow the supermarket plans to go ahead.

In its objection RGDATA said that it was “concerned with the proliferation of planned and permitted convenience stores in suburban locations throughout Galway City in recent years.”

“If not carefully managed, the cumulative effect of these retail developments poses a real threat to the future vitality and viability of the City Centre and existing centres in the city”.

This will be the 10th Aldi supermarket to be built in Galway since the opening of their first store in