Pharmacists band together to oppose development in Kerry town
A group of chemists in Listowel have come together to try and block the planned development of a pharmacy unit at the north Kerry town’s primary care centre.
The Listowel Pharmacists Group has appealed the recent decision of Kerry County Council to grant permission to allow the Listowel Primary Care Centre to open a pharmacy/dispensary unit on its premises.
The group has expressed concern that the proposed development at the medical centre on Convent Road in Listowel would detract from the vitality and viability of the town centre.
It claimed the proximity of the pharmacy to a primary care centre with its sharing of a free car park would bestow a competitive advantage on it over existing chemists in the town.
The group pointed out that there were already six pharmacies operating in Listowel, which it claimed was a huge number for a town with a population of around 5,000.
It said market towns and their town centres were “facing an existential crisis”, particularly following the impact of Covid-19.
The group’s spokesperson, Gerry Lynn of Hartnett’s Pharmacy, said the well-being of towns like Listowel were strongly related to the well-being of their town centres to which retail pharmacies made an important contribution.
“If this planning goes ahead, it is likely that one pharmacy will relocate and one will close,” he predicted.
Mr Lynn said Listowel was an exceptionally attractive market town that had good parking facilities and a mix of shops, bars, restaurants and cafés that got people out of their cars.
He added: “People will drive into the primary care centre and drive out with minimal social interaction.”
Greenville Primary Care, which operates the medical centre, said there were benefits associated with the co-location of pharmacies and primary care centres.
The company, whose directors are John and Con Whelan, said the provision of a pharmacy at the centre would meet the needs of its patients as well as local residents.
“It is convenient for patients to be able to obtain medical prescriptions and other medical supplies while attending a primary care centre,” the company stated.
It noted that it is common to find pharmacy units attached to medical centres and it highlighted how An Bord Pleanála had already approved the provision of a pharmacy at medical centres in Carrigaline, Athlone, Limerick, Athenry and Cahir.
The company also claimed that concerns for the impact of its plans on the town centre did not seem to be shared by other businesses in Listowel as pharmacists were the only objectors to the development.
It claimed the objection by the Listowel Pharmacists Group appeared to be “commercially driven in the interests of protecting their businesses” and Mr Lynn’s claims about the impact on the town centre were “grossly exaggerated” with the group providing no evidence to supports its claims.
It referenced national retail planning guidelines which state that the planning system should not be used to inhibit competition or preserve existing commercial interests.
The company said it was in negotiations with Maguire’s Pharmacy in Listowel to operate the new pharmacy unit at the medical centre.
It said Maguire’s had no plans to close its existing premises but was seeking to expand its business and generate additional employment in Listowel.
A ruling on the case by An Bord Pleanála is due by early September.
link
