REVEALED: Planned new Penneys depot will be the length of three football pitches

The official planning application has been lodged with Kildare Co Council for the proposed new Penneys distribution centre in Newbridge which will be almost the length of three football pitches.

The sheer scale of the massive facility has also been made clear: it will span 64,550 square metres in total and sit on a sprawling 15.42 hectare site off the R445 in Great Connell.

The location is south of the Newbridge South Orbital Relief Road (NSORR).

The overall building will be 147m in width and 306m in length - or almost one-third of a kilometre long. 

The maximum height of the complex will be 23.5m.

The designs include provisions for a reception area, break room, training room and toilet/welfare facilities.

There will also be mezzanine office accommodation, meeting rooms and toilet/welfare facilities.

Also included in the plans is a transport office, a textile storage area and a security gatehouse.

The drawings feature a pallet storage building, a recovery recycling unit and a smoking shelter.

The international fashion retailer said last month it is investing €75 million to develop the proposed facility, which it said is demonstrating its long-term commitment to Ireland, high street retail and local communities. 

A spokesperson said: "The decision to develop a new advanced facility in Great Connell reflects the need for additional capacity to support the company’s continued growth plans.

"There will also be the use of air source heat pumps to provide heating where required and use of solar panels to reduce primary electrical energy input.

"There will also be over 2.3 hectares of landscaping including native Irish trees, wildflower meadow and ponds throughout the site."

The new facility will be in addition to the current depot in Naas Enterprise Park, which has serviced Penneys’ operations in Ireland for the last 17 years.

The new Newbridge depot will act as an all-island facility, creating additional capacity and will serve its stores in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Penneys added: "The depot, which will take three years to complete subject to planning permission will support the company’s ongoing national and international growth and supply chain network strategy into the future."