Local businesses and residents have mounted opposition to plans for a new supermarket near the Lansdowne Road stadium in Dublin 4 amid rumours it is the location of a new Aldi store.

Several appeals have been lodged with An Bord Pleanála against the recent decision of Dublin City Council to grant planning permission for a shop with an off-licence on the site of a former car dealership at Bath Avenue Place in Beggar's Bush.

Permission for the development, near the Aviva Stadium, was granted to Propdale and CFO Construction trading as Alasta Co Ownership.

Consultants acting for the developers said they aimed to convert a former warehouse building into a "neighbourhood shop" extending to 888sqm. They said it would provide for "much-needed convenience shopping to a well-established residential area" which it claimed was "currently deficient" in convenience shopping outlets.

However, work on the project is on hold after five parties lodged objections to An Bord Pleanála including RGDATA, the representative body of independent supermarkets, which claims the site is earmarked for an Aldi store.

It is understood the German discount supermarket group had no awareness about the development until media reports of a possible Aldi involvement last month.

In planning documents, RGDATA chief executive Tara Buckley said the association supported sustainable and strategic regional development where there were shops people could walk to but pointed out the majority of the site of the proposed store is zoned for housing.

She claimed an Aldi outlet would attract car-borne customers to an area where there were no parking facilities. Ms Buckley could not be contacted for comment yesterday.

Similar arguments were made by Beggars Bush Business Community which represents local retailers including two Euro Spar supermarkets and gourmet grocery, Lotts & Co as well as Slattery's pub, The Chophouse and The Old Spot.

Irish Independent