Tulla Road service station plans put on hold by the local authority

A DECISION on plans for a revamp of an Ennis filling station and former convenience store which will transform what has been described as “an eyesore in the landscape” have been put on hold as Clare County Council have raised some concerns over the plans.
Planning permission is being sought by Catherine Fitzpatrick for the redevelopment of the Tulla Road Service Station.
According to documents lodged with the plans the proposal will result in a “well managed and safe commercial building in place of what is a haphazard development”.
However the planning authority has sought further information on the proposals stating what has been provided is “insufficient” to make a decision. The applicant has six months to respond to the request.
The plans include the demolition of shed buildings to the back of an existing unused convenience store and to demolish sections of the store. New extensions are planned along with internal alterations and refurbishment works to include a proposed retail area, storage area, deli / cafe area and off licence. A new roof, alterations to the existing parking area and new boundary walls and site entrance / exit are also planned.
The site currently includes the disused convenience store, operational filling station, operational car wash and operational car hire office is directly accessed from the busy Tulla Road.
Documents prepared by Diarmuid Keane and Associates acting for Ms Fitzpatrick outline the site is directly accessed from the busy Tulla Road “with almost wide open frontage, which can lead to haphazard traffic movements to and from the property”.
The report points out the County Development Plan considers that, “The existing retail and commercial developments on the site have been developed in a piecemeal manner and as such, issues relating to traffic management and points of entry/exit to the site have not been developed in a coordinated manner.”
The proposal aims to address these issues with plans including new public footpaths, on-site parking, and to separate the petrol filling station traffic from shopping traffic.
The report describes the current property as “currently in a poor state of repair and a poor aesthetical condition”.
The existing convenience store, which has been closed down for the past few years, “is an eyesore in the landscape in what is an extremely popular and busy public area, and one of the main commuter routes in and out of Ennis”.
This is “exasperated by the fact that the adjoining commercial property, consisting of a number of individual commercial units, is also in a poor state of repair and visually rundown. The two properties combined, contribute to provide a blight in the landscape. The subject property is in dire need of urgent renovation and rejuvenation. It is felt that the proposed development, subject to the current planning application, may provide the catalyst for the further rejuvenation of the adjoining property.”
The current disused convenience store is “beset with issues which mean that it is not feasible or functional to be used as an ongoing business without extensive refurbishment to bring it up to current building and energy standards.”
While the footprint of the store is “not sufficient to cater what would be a typical modern store”. The report concludes, “The design process has resulted in replacing a dated 1970s convenience store with its contemporary counterpart, to repair the physical infrastructure of the area, and enhance the quality of life for the neighbourhood.”
It is envisaged it will be an “effective, safe addition to the surrounding area which will benefit the local people who are currently lacking in this kind of convenience store and of the social amenity that it can provide. We believe that the combination of form, siting and materials specified has resulted in a design which integrates well into the site and is not out of character or scale with the surrounding buildings.”
Two Ennis Councillors, Clare Colleran Molloy (FF) and Pat Daly (FF) have made representations in relation to the planning application.
Seeking further information on the proposal the planning authority sought a site specific assessment of risks from flooding associated with the development. The council also pointed out the site is approximately 15m north of the Lower River Shannon Special Area of Conservation and has asked for an assessment demonstrating the proposed development will not have a significant effect on the status of European sites or negatively affect the conservation objectives or integrity of the SAC.
“There is some concern over the impact of the development, primarily during the construction on water quality and resulting impacts on the conservative objectives of the European site,” the planning authority stated. They have asked the developer to submit an Appropriate Assessment Screening Report and in the event significant effects can’t be ruled out, a full Natura Impact Statement.
A revised site layout is being looked for and the omission of the proposed footpath outside the boundary wall taking into consideration the planned Active Travel Scheme for the Tulla Road.
The planning authority have also noted the net retail space is increasing from 175sqm to 210sqm. There is “some concern” over the quantity of parking with the developer invited to investigate additional onsite parking and consideration of the omission of a proposed seating area. Details of surface water management are also being sought.