The fall-out from An Bord Pleanála's refusal of planning permission for a €75 million shopping centre for Newbridge continued this week, with the town's chamber of commerce describing it as "a devastating shock".
It said it was "appalled" at the decision to refuse planning permission for the centre on Cutlery Road which would have provided 1,800 jobs.
The proposed 7.9 acre development by Newbridge Investments Ltd (NIL) included a multi-storey shopping mall, a six-screen cinema, 1,701 car parking spaces as well as apartments and offices.
The planning board rejected the plan because there was no traffic management plan for the town, inadequate roads and the scale of the proposed development.
It said the development would cause serious congestion if it was approved before the new road lay-out was determined.
An Bord Pleanála had sought Kildare County Council's traffic management plan for the town but as it was still at the draft stage, the council said it would have been inappropriate to send it.
Mr Charles Meiklereid, Newbridge Chamber of Commerce president, said it was "a sad day when a project of this magnitude is refused due to the inability of a traffic management plan being put in place."
Kildare County Council said allegations by Sen John Dardis of "gross negligence" were "completely unfounded". A council spokesman said a traffic study had been commissioned in 2000, completed two months ago and had been presented to the council's local area committee.
The committee approved the parking regulations aspect of the plan but the county council yet had to approve the whole plan. That would happen within two months, he said.
The spokesman said the council had approved the development and still supported it because of its many benefits for the town.
Mr Bill Lacy, a spokesman for NIL, said the company was "obviously disappointed" with the rejection of its plan but saw it as a temporary setback.
"We'll have to reapply but we won't change our application," he said.
He said the company was confident its plan would be accepted because it would reduce traffic from Kildare to shopping complexes such as the Liffey Valley and Tallaght centres.
An Bord Pleanála had been "very much in favour of the concept", Mr Lacy said.
The setback was not as major as it would have been had construction started, but every day was costing money in terms of bank interest payments, he said.
Once planning permission was received it would take about 2½ years to complete the centre.
A special meeting of Newbridge Town Council is being called next week to discuss the issue.
Mr Ray O'Brien, town council chairman, said he was "furious" about the rejection of the planning application.
He said An Bord Pleanála's stance was totally contrary to Kildare County Council's strategy for the development of Newbridge up to 2012.
He accepted that the town's traffic plan had not been officially sanctioned but said planning permission could have been granted subject to the traffic plan being put in place.