Property companies in Carlow embroiled in planning row
Property development firm, Thomas Thompson Holdings (TTH) is embroiled in a planning row with a rival property company in Carlow.
In August, the long-established Thomas family-controlled company secured planning permission for a new retail development at Carlow’s retail park that would introduce new TK Maxx and Homesense outlets to the town.
However, the TTH plan has been put on hold following Fairgreen Shopping Centre (Carlow) Ltd appealing the decision to An Bord Pleanála which delays any progress on the plan into 2020.
Now, in response, TTH has lodged its own appeals to An Bord Pleanala against two Fairgreen applications for retail development at the town’s Fairgreen shopping centre resulting in those plans now being stalled.
TTH has been operated by the Thomas family over a number of generations with Gwynne Thomas - the father of well known broadcaster, Kathryn Thomas - on the board of TTH.
In the planning row, TTH is seeking planning for a sub-division of a retail comparison unit to allow TK Maxx and Homesense stores at Carlow retail park.
However, Fairgreen Shopping Centre (Carlow) Ltd objected and in response, consultants for TTH claim that the Fairgreen Shopping Centre objection is primarily “anti-competitive and intended to protect alternative establishments and/or development sites from the competing proposal.”
The consultants for TTH stated that should planning permission be refused, TK Maxx and Homesense will not open in Carlow.
In a rebuttal submission, consultants for Fairgreen Shopping Centre (Carlow) refute the statement that the firm’s objection is anti-competitive.
The submission states: “The Fairgreen reserves the right to comment on proposals which put forward unsustainable development proposals which will have detrimental impacts on Carlow town centre.”
However, Carlow County Council granted planning permission resulting in the Fairgreen shopping centre company appealing the decision to An Bord Pleanála.
Carlow County Council has also granted planning to the Fairgreen company for the two two-storey retail units at the Fairgreen Shopping Centre.
Now, those two decisions are before the board following TTH lodging appeals to An Bord Pleanála with decisions not expected to until March of next year.
An Bord Pleanála has deemed one of the TTH appeals against the Fairgreen retail plans to be invalid.
At the end of September last year, TTH was sitting on shareholder funds of €2.7m.
