Construction BUSINESS

The five-star Dromoland Castle hotel is seeking to block plans by Applegreen to extend its national network of motorway service areas into Co Clare.

Last month, Applegreen lodged plans to construct a service stop on the Limerick-Ennis motorway near the hotel.

The site is only 6km from a site for which Supermac’s secured planning for a service stop in January.
That plan has now been put on hold after Applegreen lodged an appeal against the decision with An Bord Pleanála.

Buoyed by Supermac’s success before the Council, Applegreen has reapplied for planning at the site near Dromoland.

Last year, Clare County Council refused planning to Applegreen for a service station at the site.
In its objection, Dromoland has stated that the proposed development could result in the proliferation of service areas by the creation of two off-line motorway service stations 5.9km apart from each other.

Favouring the Supermac’s plan, the appeal states: “One of these locations is plan led, the proposed location by Applegreen is not.”

The appeal states that such an approach could lead to driver confusion on the M18 route due to likely multiplicity of similar motorway signage.

Supermac’s boss Pat McDonagh has also lodged a submission with the Council asking only that he be informed of the application’s progress.

Topaz has lodged a similar submission to Mr McDonagh and the lodging of the submissions gives the two parties the option of appealing any grant of permission to An Bord Pleanála.

Dromoland is calling on the Council to refuse permission to ensure consistency in an approach adopted by An Bord Pleanála in similar cases.