Delay to verdict on appeal against Athlone car dealer's expansion

The decision on an appeal against the expansion plans of Michael Moore Car Sales in Athlone has been delayed until later this year.

The local car dealership was granted planning permission last February for the addition of four new buildings on a 4.08 acre site to the west, or Athlone town side, of its premises at Creggan Upper, Fardrum.

Westmeath County Council's planning decision was then appealed to An Bord Pleanála by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII).

The planning board was due to make its decision on the appeal by July 1. However, on that date, it issued a letter saying it had not been possible to finalise the matter due to its "current significant backlog" of cases.

"The board now intends to determine the appeal before November 5, 2024," it wrote. "The board will take all such steps as are open to it to ensure that the appeal is determined before that date."

The two main buildings that are planned as part of the Michael Moore Car Sales development are a 1,780 square metre single-storey motor vehicle service and sales facility, and a 952 sq m partially two-storey motor service and sales building.

TII's appeal against the award of planning permission for the project focused on the fact that it would be situated close to a national road, the N62 (old Dublin Road).

The State body argued that local policies sought to "prevent, except in exceptional circumstances, the creation of additional access points from new developments or the generation of increased traffic from existing accesses to national roads."

The transport authority said it appeared the county council had not "prepared the necessary evidence base" to show there were 'exceptional circumstances' meriting the approval of this development.

It argued that awarding planning approval "would set an unacceptable and undesirable precedent for further similar development accessing national roads throughout the country".