Monksland public meeting called to "demand planning approval" for Lidl store

A public meeting has been called in the Monksland area of Athlone next week as part of a local campaign calling on Roscommon County Council to grant planning approval for a Lidl supermarket in the area.

The meeting is due to take place at Monksland Community Centre on Thursday, June 18, at 7pm.

It was called after a recent online petition entitled 'Demand planning approval for Lidl store in Monksland' attracted a total of 647 verified signatures on the change.org website.

Mark Francis set up the online petition and said the public meeting, which has been advertised on the Monksland Discussion Page on Facebook, was the next step in a campaign seeking the store's approval.

"The point of the meeting is to show that we as a community demand that the application by Lidl be granted this time," Mark stated.

"I will be inviting all elected politicians, including councillors, and they will be presented with the petition. Emails have been sent to all 3 sitting TDs and to various councillors."

On May 27, Lidl Ireland lodged a planning application with Roscommon County Council for the development of a single-storey discount supermarket and off licence, which would be located on a 1.2 hectare site next to the Joe Duffy car sales showroom, and across the road from the Athlone Springs Hotel.

The planning bid comes after a previous application for a Lidl store at the same site was turned down by the council in 2023, in a decision that was upheld by An Bord Pleanala the following year.

Roscommon County Council is due to make a decision on the new Lidl planning application by July 21.