Retail

Lidl’s Irish boss: ‘We’re keen to get into more towns, but planning delays are holding us back’

John Paul Scally, head of the German grocery giant’s Irish operation, says 16 projects are currently waiting for a decision

John Paul Scally: ‘We're keen to get into those towns, customers are crying out for a Lidl store in their locality’. Picture: Fergal Phillips

The chief executive of Lidl Ireland has expressed his frustration at the “huge delays” in securing planning permission for new stores.

John Paul Scally told the Business Post that 16 Lidl projects were currently awaiting planning decisions which posed challenges for the German grocer’s plans here.

“The majority of those [projects] are sitting with An Bord Pleanála, there have been huge delays on some of those projects, we have been waiting over three years for ...