'Seems crazy' that Dunnes Stores 'won't respond' in relation to shopping centre in Kilkenny

Cllr Ger Frisby has argued that the ongoing lack of communication from Dunnes Stores to elected officials in relation to the much-anticipated opening of Ferrybank Shopping Centre is 'not good enough'.

For months, councillors have been writing to the supermarket giant in an attempt to find out when it is planning to officially open the complex.

Picture: A satellite image of Ferrybank Shopping Centre, showing that it lies within the boundary of County Kilkenny / Picture via Google

At the latest meeting of elected members of Piltown Municipal District, held in Ferrybank, councillors were informed once again that no correspondence in relation to an opening date had been received from Dunnes Stores.

Cllr Ger Frisby, who is also Chairperson of Piltown MD, said that the ongoing lack of correspondence is 'not good enough'.

"It seems to be crazy that they won’t respond," he said.

"We should be privy to this information. From a planning point and marketing/retail point of view we need to get something from them."

Cllr Pat Dunphy claimed that the company are currently spending a lot of money maintaining the centre, concluding that this 'shows that there’s something coming', adding that they are 'holding up the area'.

Cllr Tomas Breathnach stated that Dunnes Stores should be made aware of the joint retail strategy out there at present involving both Kilkenny and Waterford, as well as the upcoming Ferrybank Belview Local Area Plan.

He argued that having details around the opening of Dunnes Stores in Ferrybank Shopping Centre would be helpful to both strategies.

His point was noted by Director of Services, Sean McKeown, who stated that Dunnes Stores 'are important stakeholders' in both strategies.

McKeown suggested approaching the retailer for engagement as soon as consultants are appointed to the Ferrybank Belview Local Area Plan in February 2024.

In the meantime, elected officials are still calling out for more information.

BACKGROUND

Ferrybank Shopping Centre is a vast complex on the Kilkenny-Waterford border that has been mostly empty since its completion in 2008.

For over a decade, the site was the centre of a legal dispute between Dunnes Stores, who were originally signed on as the anchor tenant, and Deerland Construction Ltd, a company that transferred the loans for the building to NAMA.

Back in March of this year, it was revealed that Dunnes Stores purchased and now have ownership of the centre.

Since that purchase, a large amount of remedial work has been conducted, prompting anticipation of an inevitable opening.