Council blocks modular cafe unit plan for Diskin Centre
By Kevin O'Neill
Plans to develop a new single-storey 'high-quality' café at Athlone's Diskin Centre has been refused by Westmeath County Council – after objections by the owners of nearby Golden Island Shopping Centre.
Permission to construct the café unit, which would have comprised two connected modular structures (20ft containers), was sought by Tiane Ltd.
The development, it was proposed, would also incorporate a coffee and food preparation area, customer seating area, and a controlled takeaway collection point for customers. The plans also included accessible toilet facilities, together with associated site works including internal access roads and nine on-site car parking spaces.
An objection to the project was submitted by O'Dea and Moore Architects - acting as agents for the owners of Golden Island Shopping Centre, International Investment ICAV Limited partnership 1.
The objection said its client had 'relevant interest' in the proposed development given its close proximity to Golden Island Shopping Centre.
In its objection, the owners of Golden Island Shopping Centre expressed concerns over the proposed development's new vehicular and pedestrian movements, as well as worries about site access, accessibility, and its visual impact on the area.
In rejecting the application, the council said it had not been satisfied that the proposed site layout provided for safe movement of pedestrians and vehicles.
The council said that 'the absence of clearly segregated pedestrian routes, the interaction between pedestrians and vehicles within the internal circulation area, proposed pedestrian access arrangements, and the reliance on shared vehicular areas to access the development would likely give rise to conflict between pedestrians and vehicles, thereby endangering public safety'.
The proposed development, it added, would therefore be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.
Furthermore, the council said the applicant failed to submit sufficient information to enable it to carry out appropriate assessment screening in accordance with the requirements of the Habitats Directive. As a result, the council said, and due to the proposed development's closeness to the river Shannon callows and the middle Shannon callows, it could not conclude, on the basis of objective scientific information, that the proposed development would not be likely to have a significant effect on the integrity of European Sites.
In its original application, Tiane Ltd., stated the proposed plans had been 'carefully developed to provide a high-quality, low-impact development'.
It said that the site currently comprises an underutilised informal unsurfaced parking and hardstanding area within a wider commercial setting, and its overarching design approach was to create 'a small-scale, high-quality café environment, rather than a car-dominated development'.
Furthermore, it felt that its proposal would 'contribute positively to the area without adversely impacting on traffic, visual amenity, or the character of the surroundings'.