Semi-State body appeals planning approval for car dealer’s expansion

The planned expansion of a long-established Athlone car sales business has been appealed to An Bord Pleanála by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII).

The State agency recently lodged its appeal against the addition of new facilities at Michael Moore Car Sales, at Creggan, arguing that the development could compromise public safety on the "heavily trafficked" N62 (old Dublin Road).

Westmeath County Council had granted planning permission in early February for the addition of four new buildings on a 4.08 acre site to the west, or Athlone town side, of the car business' existing premises at Creggan Upper, Fardrum.

The proposed development includes a 1,780 square metre single-storey motor vehicle service and sales facility, along with a 952 sq m partially two-storey motor service and sales building.

Two smaller detached ancillary buildings are also proposed, with these due to be used for valeting and washing vehicles.

The development was prompted by the need to develop a new standalone sales premises for the Mercedes Benz brand, according to planning documents lodged on behalf of Michael Moore Car Sales.

However, TII has now appealed the council's decision, arguing that the awarding of planning permission would be "at variance with the provisions of official national, regional, and local planning policy".

It stated that the development would involve "the intensification of an existing private road access and the creation of a new access road for zoned lands on the N62 national secondary road, where an 80kph speed limit applies".

TII felt that the granting of planning permission for this development was "inconsistent with the provisions of the Westmeath County Development Plan 2021-2027 and Athlone Town and Environs Development Plan".

It said the local policies had sought to "prevent, except in exceptional circumstances, the creation of additional access points from new developments or the generation of increased traffic from existing accesses to national roads."

The transport authority said it appeared the county council had not "prepared the necessary evidence base" to show there were 'exceptional circumstances' meriting the approval of this development in relation to the guidelines for accessing a national road, in this case the N62.

It argued that awarding planning approval "would set an unacceptable and undesirable precedent for further similar development accessing national roads throughout the country".

The TII's appeal to An Bord Pleanála was signed by its Head of Land Use Planning, Tara Spain.

It concluded that the granting of planning permission would conflict with "Government's objective to safeguard the strategic function of the national road network and to safeguard the investment made in the transport network to ensure quality levels of road safety, service, accessibility, and connectivity to transport users."

An Bord Pleanála is due to make a decision on the planning appeal by July 1.