Work on new Tesco Superstore to start within ‘months’

Work on the new Tesco Superstore in Cavan Town will begin “in the coming months”, The Anglo-Celt can reveal.

Speaking to the Celt on Monday, a company spokesperson said Tesco is “delighted” to have received full and final permission for the multi-million euro project after it cleared all planning hurdles prior to Christmas and is looking forward to starting work.

It could be as early as March when workmen move on site, according to persons positioned close to the situation.

The Celt can reveal also that Tesco is in “advanced discussions” with another large but as yet unnamed “retailer” with a view to the company taking over its existing unit in the centre of Cavan Town.

A “further announcement” will follow said a company spokesperson, responding to questions put by The Anglo-Celt this week as to whether that retailer would be Irish multinational fashion chain Penneys.

Before Christmas An Bord Pleanála upheld a decision by Cavan County Council to grant planning permission to Tesco Ireland for the development of a new supermarket at Townparks, replete with a new four-pump filling station and drive-thru café.

A car wash and jet wash area and signage are included.

The appeal was submitted by Friends of Killymooney Lough, a group which raised a number of concerns for the local area, including issues around increased traffic, the visual impact of the new structure once built, as well as its proximity to the neighbouring St Clare’s National School.

The supermarket giant lodged a fresh planning application for its the superstore on a 3.86 hectare site overlooking Cavan Town back in early 2023 before planning was granted and then subsequently appealed.

There had been strong objections among local shop owners to the original plans when first submitted by Tesco more than a decade ago. Chief among them was a feeling that the proposed development, regardless of any mitigating measures, would take away footfall from the core town centre retail area.

Tesco previously stated the new modern, sustainable, and accessible store extending to 35,000 sq ft will come completed with new car parking facilities, provision for ‘Click+Collect’ services, and include a Grocery Home Shopping Hub to serve the wider catchment of Co Cavan.

The existing store currently operates from a building more than 50 years old. The retailer itself has operated in the town for more than two decades after Tesco acquired the former Quinnsworth brand back in 1997.

Tesco, which already employs more than 170 colleagues across two stores in the county (Cavan Town and Bailieborough), also previously stressed its ongoing commitment to Cavan Town, stating it’s a “key part” of its national retail footprint.

The Tesco spokesperson told the Celt this week: “Tesco is delighted to have received full and final planning permission from An Bord Pleanála for its new store in Cavan Town. We are working with Cavan County Council and others to finalise plans and to develop a timeline. We look forward to commencing works in the coming months.

“Tesco is proud to have been part of Cavan Town for over two decades, and we look forward to bringing a new, more modern shopping experience to our customers soon. Our new store will offer a broader shopping experience, which we believe will bring more people to shop with us, and enhance the overall vibrancy of the town for everyone.”

Tesco has said in the past that it intends to sell its existing Main Street store once vacated rather than have it as a vacant site on its estate portfolio.

The spokesperson said Tesco is in “advanced discussions with another retailer to take over its existing site, with a further announcement to follow”.

Penneys

With regard to mounting speculation that Penneys is planning to open a store in Cavan in 2026, a Penneys’ spokesperson informed the Celt: “We love to hear that people would like to have a Penney’s store near them. As a growing business, we’re always looking for new opportunities for store locations, however we can’t comment on speculation about where we might open next.”