LATEST: Major development in ongoing saga over shopping centre in Kilkenny

Dunnes Stores, owners of Ferrybank Shopping Centre, have agreed to meet with the planning department of Kilkenny County Council ahead of the final drafting of the Ferybank/Belview Masterplan.

This update was relayed to the elected members of Piltown Municipal District at their monthly meeting in Ferrybank Library earlier today.

Director of Services, Ian Gardner, distributed the following update to councillors: “At the last meeting I reported that planning had followed up with Dunnes Stores regarding a letter previously sent by the Chief Executive.

READ NEXT: Is this the tallest snowman in Kilkenny? Maybe in Ireland?!

“The letter informed Dunnes Stores that the preparation of the draft masterplan for Ferrybank/Belview was at an advanced stage and that the Council would like the opportunity to engaged with them to brief them on the plan to ascertain their views.

“Since the last meeting, Dunnes has responded win what is considered a positive manner. Planning will now arrange to meet with Dunnes Stores to discuss the draft masterplan including Dunnes Stores proposals for the Ferrybank Shopping Centre.”

Chairman of Piltown Municipal District, Cllr Ger Frisby, stated that the update is ‘good news’ and added that ‘the more conversation that we can have the clearer the picture will be for their [Dunnes Stores] plans for the centre’.

It is hoped that the meeting with Dunnes Stores will yield some form of provisional timeline for the opening of the shopping centre, although that is still not guaranteed.

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 2023, 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.

FOR MORE LOCAL NEWS, CLICK HERE