Ikea gets the go-ahead to set up shop in Ballymun

Fingal County Council has granted planning permission for the 30,000sq m Ikea store proposed for north Ballymun in Dublin.

The site lies within the Ballymun Regeneration Zone, just off the M50.

An Ikea spokeswoman said the store could be open by next summer if there are no objections to An Bord Pleanála. But if there are objections, it was unlikely it could be opened before spring 2008, she said.

The first Ikea store in Northern Ireland is expected to open in Belfast in late October or early November next year.

Fingal County Council has attached 29 conditions to its approval of the Ballymun development, which Ikea said it was "confident we can meet".

Nine parties made objections or observations to the council in relation to the development. The majority of them related to traffic, particularly the impact of the store on the already overburdened M50.

Green Party councillors and the party's transport spokesman, Éamon Ryan, said the store would adversely affect the M50 and the party is already considering appealing the approval to An Bord Pleanála.

In its submission to the council Treasury Holdings, which is redeveloping the old Ballymun shopping centre, said Ikea could have a significant negative impact on the road network.

Tesco Ireland also made a submission in relation to traffic concerns.

A lengthy objection was submitted by the Irish Hardware and Building Materials' Association. The organisation is against the scale of the development and says it will severely damage existing DIY shops.

The M50 is certain to be the major focus of any appeals to An Bord Pleanála.

The council has set conditions insisting that the M50 upgrade be completed, or at least the works to the Ballymun Interchange and surrounding roads, before Ikea can open.

The National Roads Authority (NRA) has said that it will be mid to late 2008 before these works will be done.

However, while this could be seen as placing an extended delay on the opening of the store, there is a clause in the condition that allows Ikea to put forward alternative interim road improvements.

Ikea is putting up €5.5 million for road upgrades. The company has been in talks with the NRA and says it can offer acceptable measures to address all traffic concerns.

However, the NRA said yesterday that it had not yet reviewed the council's approval but that it was "not beyond a reasonable doubt" that some issues in relation to the road network would remain to be resolved.

The council has insisted on a number of other measures to control traffic, including paid parking at the shop which would be used to subsidise deliveries for public transport users, controls on opening hours and a ban on Ikea launching the outlet during the December Operation Free Flow.