Owner of Bawnogue shops hopes it’s third time lucky

By Maurice Garvey

BAWNOGUE Shopping Centre will be hoping its third time lucky, after submitting a planning application to develop the site – for the third time.

Centre owner Mark Burns wants to drastically improve the internal and aesthetical appearance of the shopping centre.

The centre endured serious anti-social problems earlier this year, including a string of armed robberies, but a local source says things have been “looking a lot smoother” in recent weeks.

Plans lodged with South Dublin County Council on June 9, include the amalgamation of three retail units into one to provide a new local supermarket, with the post office relocating from its current position, into the new shopping centre.

Previous planning applications for the development failed to get off the mark thanks to bad luck.

In one case, general election posters covered the site notice earlier this year, rendering the application invalid when planning inspectors arrived out to view it.

Staff also had difficulty in keeping site notices up on lampposts or outside the store, as youths would tear them down.

The More4Less shop, which is proposing the development, managed to meet with representatives from the planning department to work out an acceptable solution for the site notice.

Most, if not all of the shops at the shopping centre have suffered robberies, with the More4Less suffering three armed raids in nine days last April.

The Echo understands the suspect involved in the armed raids, was subsequently arrested and jailed for other offences.

The current shopping centre is in bad need of a makeover, but a More4Less employee says they are “very positive about the development.”

“The initial plan was to do it in July, but once planning is approved, contractors are in place, and we hope to have it completed relatively as soon as possible,” he said.

During development, the store hope to remain open for the most part, depending on the level of work during a phase of construction.

Proposals for the development include demolition of the rear of the existing store, resurfacing the car park, alterations to the front façade, and associated site works.

Council planners are due to make a decision on the application by August 3.