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Bord Pleanala Refuse Youghal’s ‘Dunnes Stores Development.’
Posted on Wednesday, May 20th, 2009An Bord Pleanala has upheld an appeal against planning permission for a major retail development at the former Murray Kitchen’s site in Mill Road, Youghal. The so-called ‘Dunne’s Stores’ proposal had received planning permission from Youghal Town Council, who rezoned the four-acre site, paving the way for a massive 9,500 sq metre retail, sports & leisure and medical/health centre. The site’s capacity measures more than the combined existing retail space, Tescos included, in the town. By Christy Parker Photo: Michael Hussey (YoughalOnline.com)
Bord Pleanala Refuse Youghal's 'Dunnes Stores Development.'
Killarney-based Galvin Developments Ltd., who bought the site, had intimated that Dunne’s Stores would provide anchor tenancy on 6,000 sq metres with the remaining space occupied by up to twelve ancillary units. The application also provided for 250 parking spaces.
Objectors to the proposal were Finbarr & Anthony Russell, RGDATA, Ken Brookes and Diarmuid Keogh. The Bord upheld the objections on the grounds that, contrary to the 2009-15 Town Development Plan, it would ‘adversely affect the vitality and viability of the old town centre, its heritage character and its envisaged role as the primary commercial, retail, civic and symbolic centre of the town.’ Read more inside
The Bord further decided that, “adequate provision for parking, loading and turning spaces had not been provided and that serious traffic congestion on the main road might arise. It was ruled that the proposal was ‘unduly development obtrusive and would adversely affect the character and views of the nearby protected structure of North Abbey Cemetery, with a similar negative impact on nearby bungalows.
Jerry Galvin, Director with Galvin Developments says the company “is very disappointed, having worked on the project for a long time.
Its now back to the drawing board,” he added.
Please click on the following An Bord Pleanala – Inspectors Reports:
For detailed information, see Cork County Council Planning files @ www.corkcoco.ie
Youghal Town Council Planning Register Number: P58012/08
An Bord Pleanala Reference Number: PL87.231058
Before you go shouting from the rooftops that our town is dead because the planning was rejected. Why don’t you ask yourself a few questions:
Are you illegally dumping waste on our roads?
Are you dumping your waste at full recycle collection points?
Are you allowing your dog to take a dump on our footpaths, in your neighbours garden, on our beaches and green areas where our children play?
Are you allowing your dog to wander around the estates and streets?
Do you throw your cigarette ends and litter onto our streets?
Do you allow your children to roam our town day and night vandalising property and intimidating people?
Are you driving at high speed through our streets and housing estates?
Are you parking illegally in disabled parking spots?
Are you parking illegally on our footpaths blocking wheelchairs, prams and forcing pedestrians onto the road?
Do you smoke outside the pubs blocking footpaths?
Do you spit your chewing gum onto our streets?
Do you write graffiti on our walls?
Do you fail to properly maintain a commercial premises or residential property in our town.
If you’ve answered yes to any of the above then shut up about jobs and clean up your act and maybe we can have a cleaner town that’s a pleasure to live in! Youghal is seen as a dump by people outside of Youghal. It’s a rough and filthy place to live.
Do you show courtesy to your fellow youghal citizens and look after and promote our town as much as you can?
If the answer is yes than we’ll change Youghal. Not the councillors and certainly not the business people.
@ Christy: Eloquently put comments, and while I mightn\’t agree with them 100% (although 90% aint bad
), they have definitely shed more light than heat on the topic. Fair play.
@ Mike: In terms of moderation here, this comment thread has certainly brought it to the fore. It hasn\’t been found wanting. As you say, self moderation has definitely helped, and is something I fully agree with, where possible. Again, fair play to you and the guys for getting it right. I\’ve moderated for years on some of the busiest sites out there, and trust me when I say that it\’s a lot easier to get wrong than it is to get right. People who complain openly should remember that this soapbox on which they stand is based on volunteerism. If a photographer was to be engaged to shoot all the events that you cover, for example, you\’d want a mortgage to be paying them.
I\’d make one suggestion though, that I\’ve seen to work well on other blogs etc., and it may only take a couple of lines. A comments policy that can be linked to from the homepage, that errant users can be pointed at if there\’s a problem? Just an idea
I welcome Christy Parkers informed and balanced comments. Lets hope that this will put an end to people making rash, libelous & ill informed posts in the future!
This debate is obviously going to divide opinion in the town, but what is needed now is a unified approach from us all, to create employment and provide facilities that will enhance the lives of all the inhabitants of the town and our visitors, not just in the short term but consistantly for ours and our childrens future. YTC, the chamber, community groups & individuals will need to work together as a unit, irrespective of the current economic climate to move forward. The past is the past, if we can turn things around now, against all odds, with little or no funds from central Govt. that will prove a lot about the spirit and will of the people of Youghal!
As regards editing comments, it hardly needs stating that, for obvious reasons, all comments are monitored before being posted. There is no hard and fast rule applied to editing comments but generally speaking, any comments that are deemed (by the moderator) to be obscene, libellous, scandalous, threatening, personally vindictive or liable to result in physical injury or unfair damage to a third party or their property will, so far as the moderator can manage, not be allowed on the site. Other than that there’s no problem.
A lot of implicit editing now comes from potential contributors themselves, as they see the style of this board and what good contributions look like. This is a very important point, for as more and more good contributions have accumulated over time, less and less editing has been needed because contributors can tell what it takes to get published here.
YoughalOnline editing policy hopes that moderating a forum does not make a misrepresentation of the information sent
If you have any questions about the moderating policies of YoughalOnline.com, you can contact:news@youghalonline.com or info@youghalonline.com
YoughalOnline.com would like to thank all the contributors to its website.
Your feedback is appreciated.
Michael Hussey, Editor-YoughalOnline.com
It has been unusual for a news report to generate such activity and debate on this site. Now that the dust seems to have settled (until June 5th anyway!) and having perused the comments, there are one or two details that might serve the town’s overall cause best if clarified.
1) From attending most of Youghal Town Council’s meetings over the past two years, I can testify without doubt that each and every councillor strongly supported the planning application by Galvin Developments, Killarney to develop the site in question. The vote to rezone the site for industrial use was unanimously carried. Youghal Town Council granted planning permission.
2) There were 39 submissions to the planning application. Youghal Chamber of Commerce remained neutral, deciding not to make a submission as it did not form a mandate from members.
3) It is quite correct that Dunne’s Stores were never more than an aspiration as anchor tenants. They had neither signed nor guaranteed anything. Galvin Developments, who own the site, merely indicated that they had strong hopes that Dunnes would come on board.
4) The objections to the proposal were built on reasonable argument and personal concern, which was to be expected. It has to be recognised that they were accepted by a national, objective agency. It is pointless –and undemocratic- to expect objectors not to act according within their own interests. Turkeys don’t cheer on Christmas.
5) Rejection of a planning permission is not necessarily a bad thing. In most instances it helps to ensure that more negative aspects of the proposal are eliminated. Galvin Developments are free to submit another proposal and have said that they are scrutinising the details of An Bord Pleanala’s decision with this in mind.
6) In fairness to Michael Farrell of the Rivergate Mall, he cannot be held accountable for the decline or forestalling of business in the town centre. The rent for the library, for example is €6 per sq foot. This compares with an average of €40 per sq ft for similarly located premises in Midleton and is also under 50% the average equivalent in Dungarvan. The Rivergate Mall is currently leased at full capacity, with approximately 30 staff employed. One tenant has re-located from another part of town avail of a cheaper rent.
7) In general, when times were good, most of the town’s business community invested in their premises to make them more attractive and profitable. Public houses and restaurants are the most obvious examples. This is not to say there aren’t some chancers and greed merchants involved but generally, when they had profit they attempted to improve from it.
Finally, interesting as the debate has been, I have no wish to re-open or contribute to it any further than this. If anyone disagrees with all or any of the above sentiments, that’s fine and I’m not going to try to persuade anyone any further. Life is too short and the weather is too good at the moment…I will keep Youghalonline posted if I hear of any new developments on this item.