City petrol station ‘an affront to neighbours’

A 24-HOUR petrol station was described as an affront to neighbours, the people of Cork and planning laws, but the operators claimed they were entitled to carry on the business.

The facility, at the former base of Turner’s Cross Motors, Cork, is operated by Danny Drew, of Kinsale Road, Cork, and Rathcormac Food Park Ltd, of Mondaniel, Rathcormac, Co Cork.

Elizabeth Gunning, whose home at Slievemish Park, Kinsale Road, Cork, neighbours the station, claimed her quality of life has been affected by the fact that petrol was being sold 24 hours a day, seven days a week. She was concerned about the safety of it to operate as a garage.

Ms Gunning also claimed that Mr Drew and a woman called to her home last Thursday and that Mr Drew threatened her by pointing at her and saying: “You don’t know the cross you are bringing on yourself.” Barrister Kieran Hughes said Ms Gunning had felt it necessary to call the gardaí.

Ken O’Sullivan BL, for Mr Drew, said: “My client denies that exchange took place. He went to talk to the applicant but before he could get the words out of his mouth he was told in a very frank manner to leave the premises.”

Mr Hughes said he did not know of any steps taken by the petrol station’s operators to make sure their business would be safe, adding that he knew of no planning permission that allowed it to operate 24 hours a day.

“I say it should be shut down forthwith,” said Mr Hughes. “It is an affront to the people of Cork, an affront to the people of Turner’s Cross and the amount of flammable material being stored there without any planning is an affront to the planning laws.”

Mr O’Sullivan said the operators were catering for late-night taxi drivers, ambulance drivers and so on, and that while coffee was available through a hatch, the convenience store was closed from 11pm.

He said that because petrol had been sold from this property by different proprietors prior to 1961, the current tenants were entitled to operate without applying for new planning permission. He urged Judge Patrick J Moran not to grant Ms Gunning’s application to close or curtail the business prior to a hearing at Cork Circuit Court on Thursday.

The applicant also joined the petrol suppliers, Great Gas Petroleum (Ireland) Ltd, and the landlord of the property, Motor Services Ltd, of Stephen’s Green, Dublin, in the proceedings.

Judge Moran refused applications from the latter two companies to remove themselves as respondents.