Applegreen refused planning for Dromoland site

Applegreen’s plans of expanding its motorway service stop network has received a blow.

This follows Bord Pleanála refusing planning permission to a bid by Applegreen to construct an €8m motorway stop near the five-star Dromoland Castle in Co Clare.

The plan comprises five takeaway cafes and restaurants along with a shop, a four-pump island forecourt and parking for 184 cars.

The refusal follows Bord Pleanála last month failing to give planning permission to Supermac’s for a Barack Obama-style plaza 8km from the planned Applegreen site at Dromoland.

As a result of the two refusals, the motorway linking Limerick to Gort, which carries 23,000 vehicles a day, remains without a serviced stop.

It is the second time Applegreen has been refused planning permission for a service stop at Dromoland. Applegreen trades from over 200 sites in Ireland, the UK and the US.

The appeals board has ruled the site has not been identified for use as a motorway service area in either the National Road Authority’s Service Area Policy or the Clare County Development Plan for 2011–2017.

The appeals board stated pending implementation of Transport Infrastructure Ireland’s plan for the provision of a motorway service areas in the area, the development would be premature.

Its inspector, Hugh Morrison concluded that such a development “would risk the establishment of an adverse precedent that could lead to the proliferation of motorway service areas”.