Residents Appeal Supermac’s Trading Extension
By Christy Parker | Photo: Michael Hussey (YoughalOnline.com)
Residents in South Main Street Youghal are appealing to an Bord Pleanala against the Town Council’s decision to permit extending opening hours to the Supermac restaurant and fast food outlet. The decision to contest the decision was taken following a meeting last Monday night.
On March 18th, the Town Council granted the business at 54, South Main Street a ‘temporary, two-year licence’ to trade until 2 a.m. on regular Fridays and Saturdays and on Sundays preceding Bank Holiday Mondays. Normal trading hours of 10am-12.30 a.m. would persist Sunday-Thursdays.
Fifteen objections had been lodged to the application although, according to local spokesman Richie Power, “there are very many more who feel just as strongly.” The residents say they endured sleep-deprivation and a proliferation of anti-social behaviour, including noise, damage to property and littering on previous occasions when Supermac’s breached their licensing agreement and traded up to 3.30 am. The application for extended hours followed a warning from the council on those transgressions.
Mr Power says the shop, especially as it has a restaurant facility, is “a magnet for late-night disruption” in a compact area that accommodates several pubs, two taxi bases and a nightclub amidst private occupancy. “This isn’t about mere speculation. When Supermac’s was illegally serving late before, we had large numbers of people congregating on the street. We had shouting, fighting and people getting sick outside our doors. We had the immense noise from car exhausts and stereos and engines running. All this arises directly from having a late night restaurant and take-away where people are simply trying to sleep and live normal lives.”
Fellow resident Harry Morrison says people “can accept 12.30 am closing but beyond that is just unfair.’ He adds, “Youghal Town Council’s Planning authority gave anything but satisfactory consideration to the objections that were lodged. They took stock of neither the nature nor the gravity of the complaints, especially sleep deprivation I can’t understand why any council would impose this on anyone, let alone children and elderly people who have a right to a night’s sleep.”
Nearby. Doyle’s chip shop trades late due to having been in business since 1959, prior to governing licensing legislation. “In any case, people tend to buy food there and saunter away. But Supermac’s facilitates people sitting down inside and staying in the area longer,” says Mr. Morrison.
Supermac’s proprietor David Nevin says he employs security personnel that discourages anti-social behaviour and actually helps alleviate street problems. He says, “less desirable elements don’t come here because they won’t get in.” Mr Nevin further states he currently employs six workers but given extended hours and summer trade, that would rise towards 20. He previously said he would be forced to close if his extension wasn’t granted. Meanwhile, the extension remains on hold until the appeal is processed, which may take up to 18 weeks.
Related Stories
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Comments
* All comments are moderated before publishing.No comments yet.
Leave a comment