Plans for old Texas site project in Tullamore paused

The pause button has been pressed on a major retail project earmarked for the former Texas store site in Tullamore after Offaly County Council sought further information from the developers on a range of issues before a final decision will be announced.

The proposal by Weavermay Ltd consists of the demolition of 6,800 square metres of buildings, extensions and sheds on the site, and the construction of one single-storey 1,664 square metres of a retail store, one three-storey 874 square metres of a retail/commercial/office unit and a two-storey 281 square metres cafe unit on the site between O'Connell Street and Offaly Street in Tullamore.

The planning support statement predicts that the proposed development “will improve the commercial offer of the town centre and will contribute to its vitality and viability, strengthening the role of Tullamore.”

It also says “plans have been prepared such that a number of different retail operators could occupy the building, such as SuperValu, Aldi, EuroSpar or M&S food store. Discussion with operators is ongoing” but it is estimated that 55 new jobs will be created post-construction.

The planning authority articulates several concerns which it wants the applicant to address - namely that the “proposed development may be at variance with national and local policy to provide a residential component, given the scale and location” - and that the project may be at variance with the Urban Development and Building Heights Guidelines “given the lack of diversity of uses proposed, the lack of housing and the lack of density”.

The council points to a key objective of the National Planning Framework is to see greatly increased levels of residential development in urban centres, asking the developer to come up with revised proposals to address the policies.

Other subjects raised in the further information request include concerns about the elevation of the retail unit onto O'Connell Street, and the need for a master plan to be undertaken with the council and the adjoining landowners. One submission was lodged with Offaly County Council website in relation to the development on behalf of Cayenne Holdings Ltd, who purchased the former Texas site in 2018 with Weavermay Ltd, after which it was divided in half by agreement of both parties.

The submission states that Cayenne Holdings is supportive of the development, but wishes for the dividing line to be viewed as the agreed boundary.

The vision of both parties for the site and what Tullamore needs also “differs markedly,” according to the submission.

Offaly County Council also asks the applicants to consider the signage for the new retail project, saying it considers it more suited to an industrial park or a project on the outskirts of town.

A green roof should be explored for the retail store element, it adds, along with the possibility of green parking lots.

The developer now has six months to comply with the further information request and provided revised plans before a final verdict will be announced.