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THE leading organisation representing retailers in the North has warned that people in Omagh could become ‘prisoners to traffic congestion’ if plans for a new multi-million-pound Sainsbury’s store are given the green light.
Retail NI has issued strong criticism of the proposed development, claiming it would place an unsustainable burden on the A5 Great Northern Road and worsen traffic conditions in and around the town.
The organisation described the plans as ‘beggaring belief’, ‘defying all planning logic’ and warned they could significantly increase road safety risks.
Retail NI said the predictable delays associated with major superstores would lead to motorists taking unsuitable detours, increasing the likelihood of collisions and putting pedestrians ‘at risk of being injured or worse’.
“This behaviour will result in greater safety risks for pedestrians, residents and road users, with much greater risk-taking by drivers attempting to make up for lost time,” a spokesperson said. “It also increases the potential for environmental damage.”
The organisation warned that the A5 is already widely recognised as one of the most dangerous roads on the island and accused Fermanagh and Omagh District Council and DfI Roads of failing to fully examine the implications of adding a major foodstore to the route.
Retail NI also raised serious concerns about what it described as a lack of adequate pedestrian provision near the proposed site.
“This will encourage risk-taking by pedestrians who may attempt to cross the extremely busy A5 or use grass verges as makeshift footpaths,” the spokesperson said. “That creates a very real danger of someone being injured or worse.”
Sainsbury’s is proposing a £12 million investment in the new store, which it says would create around 100 full and part-time jobs.
However, Retail NI argued that the A5 is one of the busiest arterial routes serving the North West and that any additional congestion would have consequences far beyond Omagh.
“Added delays will affect business traffic, people making time-sensitive journeys to ports, airports, hospitals and emergency services, as well as everyday local traffic,” the organisation said.
Retail NI claimed the location of the store ‘defies all logical planning rationale’ and warned that congestion at an already busy junction could lead to gridlock, particularly if access roads or the car park were blocked or operating at capacity.
“It would be pandemonium,” the spokesperson added. “It would be a major impediment to the regional economy and have serious consequences for road safety and the daily lives of communities across the entire West-Northwest, who are already struggling with the inadequacies of the A5 in its current state.”
