Decision due today on supermarket appeal

A decision had been expected today on the appeal against a planning refusal for a new supermarket in the county.

In December 2023, Roscommon County Council’s decision to refuse planning permission for a new supermarket in Monksland, South Roscommon was appealed to An Bord Pleanála. The council refused permission on November 21st saying it would be “contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area”. The developers lodged the appeal on December 15th.

The case was due to be decided by An Bord Pleanála by today, April 29th 2024, however, there is a considerable backlog of cases before the board. On ABP’s website the development is described as “construction of a supermarket with off licence and signage, revision to entrance with all associated site works”.

In refusing the application, the council said if permitted the proposal would fail to satisfy the primary land use zoning objection set out in the local area plan. It would also “set a precedent for other similarly inappropriate development”, and would fail to help establish a “ ‘sense of place’” in the area.

The council also said that the development would be “car dependent” and would militate against the prioritisation of pedestrian mobility and alternative modes of transport.

The proposal’s “generic design” lacked “architectural merit” and would “give rise to an adverse visual impact”.

On September 27th, Roscommon County Council received a planning application from MCS River Village Limited for a single storey supermarket with an ancillary off-licence sales area in Monksland South Roscommon.

The development was proposed for a greenfield site of .914ha on lands to the south of a T-junction on the R362 and immediately south of the Joe Duffy car showroom.

The proposal received by the council had a gross floor area of 2,210 square metres, with a net sales area of around 1,425 square metres.

The development proposal included 127 parking spaces, featuring four electric vehicle charging spaces, six parent and child spaces, and four accessible spaces. Additionally, 23 spaces were to be pre-wired for future electric vehicle charging.

Among the documents submitted to the council by the developer was a Planning Statement and Retail Assessment. This said that there had been a 4.6% increase in population in the Monksland/Bealnamulla area between 2016 and 2022 and a 43% increase in population since 2006.