The Minister for the Environment, Mr Dempsey, has imposed a ban on new superstore developments of over 32,000 square feet of floor space. The directive, which takes effect today, is an interim measure pending completion of a study on the implications of large-scale retail developments.
The ban could restrict the ambitions in Ireland of the English retailer, Tesco, by halting its planned 65,000 sq ft development at Quarryvale in west Dublin, as well as plans for Malahide, Co Dublin, and Cork.
Superquinn's development plans may also be hit by the measure.
In a statement last night the Minister said the measure was being taken under the Planning Acts.
The directive also restates in a strengthened form the considerations already contained in the 1982 planning directive, which must be applied to all other large-scale shopping developments by planning authorities and An Bord Pleanala.
"Changing retail patterns pose complex questions and there is a need for comprehensive guidelines for planning authorities. The introduction of very large-scale retail shopping developments, typically situated close to national roads, gives rise to a range of unprecedented issues. Up to now the vast majority of planning applications have had merely local effect. This is not true of large-scale retail shopping developments, which can have an impact on areas far removed from their locations," Mr Dempsey said.
The independent grocers organisation, RGDATA, welcomed the ban. Its director, Mr Michael Campbell, said: "The arrival of superstores threatened the viability of Irish towns and villages."
The Minister's action was also welcomed by the Society of the Irish Motor Industry. It was feared that superstores would include petrol stations.
In a statement last night, Tesco said it would be studying the new regulations closely. The company would "be seeking to ensure that the benefits of consumer choice and competition can be accommodated in future retail developments", the statement added.