Irishplanningnews.ie

An Bord Pleanala have overturned the decision by Galway County Council to grant permission for a large-scale shopping complex outside Tuam, Co. Galway. 

The applicant initially sought permission for a mixed use development (9,040 square metres gross) comprising anchor retail unit (4,300 square metres gross); 3 no. retail warehouse type units including DIY centre; drive-thru restaurant and ancillary development.  The scale was later reduced during the planning process.

The Board agreed with their senior inspector’s recommendation that Having regard to the scale and location of the proposed development outside the town centre area, and to the strategy indicated in the current Tuam Local Area Plan to concentrate and consolidate commercial activity in the town centre, the proposed development, would seriously injure the vitality and viability of the town centre of Tuam. 

The Board did not support the view that the proposed development would undermine the LAP indicative objective of providing a neighbourhood centre of appropriate scale west of the N17 National primary Road, and adversely affect the strategic function of the said road.

A decision by Kildare County Council to grant planning permission for a dry-waste recovery/recycling management facility in Kilcullen Business Campus, Kilcullen, County Kildare has been overturned by An Bord Pleanala who refused permission.

The applicant has sought permission for a dry-waste recovery/recycling management facility for inorganic waste material, including an End of Life Vehicle recovery facility, vehicle compactor, non ferrous metals store and associated works.  There was significant local opposition from residents in Kilcullen and they appealed Kildare County Council’s decision to An Bord Pleanala. 

The Board’s inspector recommended that permission be refused and the Board agreed with this recommendation.  They refused permission for a total of 4 reasons.  The first reason related to the fact that the proposed development was not considered to be a light industrial use and would conflict with the planning authority’s objective for land use zoning (‘light industry and warehousing’). The second reason related to the impact of the proposed development on the amenities of residential property in the vicinity by reason of noise and general disturbance.  The third and fourth reasons related to insufficient information being provided in relation to traffic and groundwater pollution.

An Bord Pleanala last week rejected two cinema proposals for Navan, Co. Meath.

An application for a nine screen cinema off the inner relief road in Navan was refused because of the prominent gateway status of the site in a heritage town and the zoning objective to provide for visitor and tourist facilities with a high-intensity, integrated use. The Board noted that the planning history of this site includes a “coherent mixed use development” incorporating a hotel and comprehensive car parking provision.

An application for amendments to a permitted cinema as part of a large mixed use development at Navan Retail Park, Athboy Road was also refused permission by An Bord Pleanala.  The Board considered that given the location of the site on the outskirts of the town, in a location that is poorly accessible from the town centre, the development would fail to consolidate the town centre, would fail to deliver any synergies with town centre activities and would have a negative impact on the town centre’s vitality and viability.

A large scale truck stop including a motel for truck drivers, 12 pump filling station, drive thru restaurant, driver resting area, picnic area etc at Carrickcarnon, Co, Louth has been refused permission by An Bord Pleanala.  Louth County Council had granted permission however the decision was appealed to the Board by third parties.  The truck stop was an off-line scheme but was quite close to the M1 motorway. 

The Board refused permission inter alia on the basis of the scale of the development, the existing on-line M1 service stations, the rural location outside a settlement and the close proximity to an interchange.  The application was a revised version of an even larger scheme which had been refused by the Council.

It is of note that the NRA had not objected to the scheme.

http://www.pleanala.ie/casenum/239307.htm