Urban Master Plan being adjusted
JM headlines that Câmara Municipal do Funchal, the local authority for the city, are in the process of adjusting its Municipal Master Plan (PDM) to accommodate more supermarkets, including Lidl. Three of the four spaces for Lidl are at an advanced licensing stage. Praça Severiano Ferraz (at the top of town the old Blandy’s building near Cruz Vermelha is still missing, where Funchal City Hall insists on a housing area.
The Mayor of Funchal, Pedro Calado reveals to the newspaper that apart from Lidl, the Pingo Doce and Continente chains also want one more store each in the parish of Santo António.
The front page also highlights that Sérgio Marques will be heard next week. The Commission of Inquiry expects the former deputy to return from Lisbon.
Former Deputy to appear before commission of inquiry
The Socialist Party have identified several reasons for the presence of the former Deputy Sérgio Marques in the commission of inquiry and is surprised by the (ruling coalition) PSD’s attempt to block the former deputy’s arrival.
There is clealy still a lot to clarify after his resignation and allegations of repeated harmful management both of the regional budget and of community funds.
If Lidl can’t get the planning permissions for Funchal why don’t they build a supermarket somewhere in Calheta? There is one really small Pingo store in Calheta across from the hotel which covers supplying people from Prazeres and probably further up. It is limited to variety in food and special offers because of the space it has available and when the tourists arrive in Calheta you can hardly move as the aisles are so narrow.
It’s time the rural areas had a bit more infrastructure, especially since a lot of new houses are being in built in rural areas now, including Prazeres.
A couple of years ago people were saying a company wanted to build a supermarket in this area but the shop owners in the Calheta area complained and didn’t want that to happen. This was the rumour going round (true or not I don’t know) but if true I can’t understand why their opinions would have been considered over the needs of the local populations in Calheta and surrounding areas.
We tend to be forgotten out here – everything is always about Funchal. For instance, when we bought our house in Prazeres 16 years ago the builder told us the mains sewage system would be going in very soon – still waiting!!
Super markets are not infrastructure. If a supermarket was viable in Calheta, Aldi, Lidl and Pingo Doce would be queuing up for planning permission. If it paid Pingo Doce to upsize it’s present premises it would have done it.
No more unnecessary concrete please, We already have over priced expensive supermarkets we don’t need anymore.
“We already have over priced expensive supermarkets we don’t need any more”…? True, if Lidl do get a foot in the door of Madeira, what will happen..? Lidl will undercut Pingo Then after a time prices will level off & they will play each other “Special Offers” in turn…? Suppliers get shafted & so do customers…?
Yes, exactly N. Belle, it’s not worth all the hype? It’s would be like the taking bread out of the pingos mouth by undercutting prices? Which certainly would never happen in Madeira? Prices would match what is the point? Apart from the odd special offer, if can find it in stock?